Mad Love
by tobehonest17
Summary: This story tells of the Hatter's heartbreak at this turn of events and Alice's eventual journey back to the one place that she has always considered to be home.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

Alice gazed into the eyes of the one man who had believed in her without reserve and despite all odds- the Mad Hatter. He gave her a toothy grin in response, his ice blue eyes reflecting the sadness he felt. He knew that Alice would not choose to stay with him, no matter how desperately he wished for the impossible.

Watching this scene, Mirana's heart ached for her Champion and her dear friend. She too wished for Alice to remain in Underland; however she understood that there were people living Above that cared about Alice and were likely anxiously awaiting her return.

"Your majesty..." a disembodied voice greeted, slowly morphing into the form of the Cheshire Cat, better known as Chess or Chessur.

Mirana smiled as another of her friends came into view before replying, "Hello Chess. I would appreciate it if you left the Hatter alone if and when Alice decides to leave Underland. He will miss her dearly and mourn her absence deeply."

Chess nodded before once more disappearing. Mirana sighed before once more turning her attention to her milliner and Champion.

Tarrant's eyes flashed a faint gold, encasing the ice blue in a golden frame. He could not believe that Alice would leave him once more, rendering him more alone than he was after the horrendous death of his clan at the hands of the Red Queen.

"Alice, please, you can't leave me, not yet," he pleaded, his heartbreaking as Alice gave him a pitying look.

"Hatter, Tarrant I need to return. It is likely that my family will be missing me. There are things I need to do and questions to answer. I wish I could stay, but..."Alice said as she failed miserably to blink back her tears.

Tarrant knew that he had lost the battle to keep Alice in Underland and so he hugged her before whispering in her ear, "Fairfarren."

He walked away, turning to watch as Alice disappeared in the same manner that Chess did, before he sank to the ground sobbing inconsolably.

Mirana watched as the usually care-free milliner slowly broke before her eyes. She could only hope that Alice would return, for if she did not, the Hatter would be lost to her as his madness overtook him.

Unable to console her friend, Mirana watched as pain flowed through every fibre of Tarrant's being as he reverently whispered "Alice" through his heart wrenching sobs. Finally, Mirana decided to remind Tarrant of her presence by slowly crossing the deserted battlefield to where he knelt to place a delicate hand upon his shoulder.

At her touch, Tarrant met the sympathetic gaze of his monarch and friend. Mirana's heart nearly broke at the sadness reflected in Tarrant's ice blue eyes; however she knew well that she was unable to bring Alice back despite her desperate wish to do so, if only to alleviate the suffering of one of her closest friends save certain members of her court.

"Tarrant, please return to the White Castle with me." Mirana said sympathetically.

"Nay, she'll come back soon, she promised. I will remain here for her return because she could come back here." Tarrant replied, however his voice was thick with emotion, betraying his doubt that Alice would soon return.

"Hatter, do you not think that if she returns she will first go to the White Castle at Marmoreal?" Mirana asked, hoping to help the Hatter see reason despite his despondency.

"Aye, I will come." Tarrant responded, nodding his head in response to Mirana's kind invitation.

 ** _Just a little glimpse of the direction that I will take this story. I apologise for the short chapter but I hand wrote it and it seemed longer... I don't own Alice in Wonderland, all rights belong to Tim Burton and others. Please review but please be kind as this is my first AIW fanfic :)_**

 ** _P.S- if you enjoyed this, chapter 2 is available on Inkitt, where the story has been entered into the Fandom 3 contest. Votes for this story would be appreciated :) there will be no more updates on this fic until the new year :)_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hey guys, I wasn't really going to update until I received more feedback about chapter 1 but for the one person who did review- James Birdsong, thank you so much!- I updated it. Please let me know what you think as reviews fuel my enthusiasm to continue to update the story!**_

 _ **By the way, Alice in Wonderland belongs to Tim Burton and all associated people :)**_

 _ **Chapter 2**_

As Alice climbed out of the hole that she had fallen into earlier, she noticed that her dress had made an appearance. She could not account for this as she had been certain that she had just been wearing armour, evidenced in the weight she still felt on her body.

Once she was fully out of the hole, she found that she could not remember all that much of what had transpired in the last few moments, except for bright green eyes that slowly faded to ice blue, as well a very beautiful woman dressed in white, including her hair.

Alice smiled at these fragmented memories as they made her happy for an inexplicable reason.

She stood up and realised that she was in the Ascot's garden and decided to return to the party, however she was aware that she had left Hamish without an answer to his proposal. Alice realised that she could not accept Hamish as the eyes in her memory obviously belonged to a man who made her happy.

Alice carefully followed the trail and eventually found her way to the gazebo where friends and family had gathered in order to hear Alice accept Hamish's hand in matrimony. As Alice walked out of the rose garden, the assembled crowd turned to look at her, including Hamish.

Slowly Alice ascended the gazebo stairs to stand in front of Hamish. Hamish swallowed, his Adam's apple rising and falling with the action, hope radiating in his hazel eyes.

"Hamish, may we speak more privately?" Alice asked, as if refusing him privately would alleviate his pain and embarrassment.

"Of course, however we shall still require a chaperone." Hamish replied, adhering to the social values convened upon gentlemen. He gestured to his father, Lord Ascot, who nodded.

Hamish then turned to the crowd and announced that Alice had requested a private audience with him. Lord Ascot moved to go into the house with them, however he kept his distance behind the couple.

As any gentleman would, Hamish offered Alice his arm which she accepted before leading her through the crowd, in the direction of the Ascot mansion. As they walked, Hamish felt hopeful however deep down he realised that Alice would not become his wife. In a way, he was glad that she would refuse him, as he was not sure that she would be the best choice of wife for him- she was too spirited and defied social convention, whereas he liked to keep within the boundaries society set up. He wondered what had possessed his mother to go ahead and accept this union, as he had been as ill-prepared for the event as Alice herself had been.

At that moment, Alice happened to glance at Hamish as she could see that he appeared uneasy which made itself known in his rapid breathing. She wondered why he appeared so uneasy, however she dismissed it as simply anxiety due to their impending meeting. Before long, the Ascot mansion loomed above them like a fortress as they entered the house and then the hall leading to Hamish's private study, along with his father. Lord Ascot took up a post in the corner of the room so as to not draw attention to himself, as well as to give the couple the needed privacy whilst maintaining acceptable social standards.

Hamish's private study was elegantly furnished, with lightly textured gold wallpaper decorating the walls, with a rich mahogany writing desk situated in the middle of the room, with a book-case filled with leather-bound volumes behind it. Alice gazed about the room, taking in every detail. Hamish sat at the desk and invited Alice to do the same. She sank gracefully into the chain, the folds of her pale blue skirt floating around her feet.

"Hamish, I am sorry..." Alice began uncertainly, attempting to avoid wounding his pride further.

Before she could finish, Hamish interrupted, "I understand, Alice. It would never have worked out," smiling sadly at Alice.

"Really? Hamish, our parents hoped for this union to align our families' fortunes. We will disappoint them and who will announce this turn of events to the crowd assembled for our engagement, which they were so certain of?" Alice asked, concerned that all would be ruined by her refusal.

Lord Ascot spoke up and told her, "Alice, your father would have wanted you to be yourself and do what you felt was right. I believe that he was against the uniting of our families out of concern for you."

Alice smiled at this as she remembered her father's calmness in the face of her mother's intensity in her feelings about this particular subject.

Hamish nodded before replying, "Alice, you and I are too different. You seek adventure whereas I am happy to remain within the confines of the world that I am familiar with. When you came back from your...stroll, you seemed different, somehow more confident. I also noticed love in your eyes however I knew that this was not love for me. As for dealing with the guests, I will notify them. I wish you the best in life and hope that we can at least be friends." Hamish said as he came to stand before Alice, smiling kindly at her.

Alice smiled in response, suddenly overcome by her desire to be with the man with the brilliant emerald eyes.

"Thank you Hamish. I wish you the same." Alice said as she stood to exit the room.

Extending his arm, Hamish led Alice back towards the crowd, who were by now quite restless with anticipation as to Alice's response to Hamish's proposal.

With a smile, Hamish released Alice who went to stand by her family, whilst he once more ascended the gazebo stairs.

"Friends and family I regret to inform you that Miss Kingsleigh has refused my proposal." Hamish stated calmly, as he watched his mother glare at Mrs Kingsleigh whilst everyone else began to murmur. Only Alice could be calm, as her thoughts drifted to her strange adventure which was slowly becoming blurry and distant.

The ride home proved to be more painful than anything else she had endured, Alice decided, except for the dragon creature that she distinctly remembered battling.

"Alice, our name is ruined because of your actions, you selfish child. It will be in the papers that Miss Alice Kingsleigh refused the hand of Lord Hamish Ascot." Mrs Kinglseigh fumed, reminding Alice of a monarch dressed in red who had the propensity to lose her temper at a whim.

Alice felt slightly guilty; however she could never love Hamish. Her thoughts turned to her adventures as her mother droned on about her selfishness. The man with the emerald eyes caused her the most joy and slowly he became clearer and clearer in her memory.

"Hatter." Alice stated, interrupting her mother's lecture.

"Excuse me?" Mrs Kingsleigh asked, hating to be interrupted.

"Nothing, mama. I was merely thinking that I should purchase a new hat as my old one is becoming worn." Alice replied, however false the lie sounded to her.

"You do not wear hats, Alice." Mrs Kingsleigh reminded, becoming suspicious.

Alice made no reply, as her thoughts were occupied by the Hatter.


	3. Chapter 3

Helen noticed a significant change in her youngest daughter after the failed engagement party at the Ascot mansion. Alice habitually forgot to act with the decorum expected of her, in addition to looking out of the window listlessly.

As weeks turned into months, Alice withdrew more and more into herself. This caused Helen to worry so much so that a doctor was sent for. The doctor, who had a kindly face and disposition, came and after asking Alice questions which received little response, turned to Helen Kingsleigh.

"Mrs Kingsleigh, your daughter is physically normal. Has she experienced anything traumatic or exciting recently?" the doctor asked.

"Not that I am aware of." Mrs Kingsleigh responded, becoming despondent.

"I can only suggest that she is mourning. I often see her symptoms in women who are mourning the loss of their husbands or lovers. Does Alice have someone that she loves?"

"I do not-," Mrs Kingsleigh said before remembering the single word that Alice had uttered, before continuing, "Yes, I believe she does. Thank you, doctor, for your help."

The doctor bowed before exiting the house, leaving Helen alone once more.

Helen mused over how to ask her daughter about the mysterious Hatter as she sipped her tea in the drawing room, precisely one half hour after the doctor had left the house. In the end, she decided to simply ask Alice about the Hatter, whoever he may be.

Helen knocked at the door to her daughter's spacious bedroom, decorated in powder blue. When no was forthcoming, Helen entered, only to find Alice staring out of the window, whilst sitting on the window seat which afforded her a view of the road. The sight caused Helen to smile, however she soon stopped when she saw Alice's shoulders rising and falling, accompanied by faint sobs. Helen's heart ached at the sight, causing her to move closer to comfort Alice.

Alice slowly stopped her tears. She looked around and found her mother comforting her. Alice wished it had been the Hatter comforting her instead; such was her level of grief at leaving him behind.

"Who is he?" Helen finally asked, injecting warmth into her voice.

Alice stared at her mother in shock before replying, "He is a milliner and my best friend. I said that I would return to him but I do not know how."

"Return? Where does he live? Surely you are able to return to him if you care about him." Helen questioned gently.

"Mother, I cannot. You would think me crazy if you knew the full story." Alice replied.

"Alice please tell me." Helen pleaded, her natural curiosity becoming evident.

"Very well. The man that I like is named Tarrant Hightopp and is hatter to the White Queen at Marmoreal. Tarrant lives in Wonderland and I cannot return through the rabbit hole in the Ascot's garden as I have no reason to be there. I will never see Tarrant again." Alice said dejectedly, turning her gaze to the busy London streets.

Helen smiled sadly before telling Alice, "You can go back. The Ascots have invited us for tea tomorrow, in order to celebrate Hamish's engagement and impending marriage."

Alice started. _She could go back to the Hatter!_ However, her excitement faded as she realised that her absence would somehow feel longer for the Hatter and that he was already quite mad, and it would surely grow in the time that she was away, which amounted to nearly six months.

...

Underland slowly returned to the joyful and bright place that it had been before the terror of the Red Queen set in. At the heart of it, Marmoreal gleamed, a beacon of peace and hope, with the pure white walls of the palace rising up from the lush emerald green grass. Everything was, in a word, perfect.

That is, all except for the Hatter. In the days following Frabjous Day, Tarrant Hightopp was rarely seen for he was either secreted in his bright workshop working on some project or other, or he was roaming the vast countryside of Underland in search of something, though no one really knew what that was, all except for Mirana. She knew of the Hatter's pain, as she watched him secretly as she knew if that he was not watched, he would likely do harm to himself or others in his madness which was becoming more and more apparent.

Tarrant's pain and grief ran very deeply, even to the point where he refused to attend tea parties, no matter what Mallymkin or Thackery said to convince him to join them, that is when anyone could get close enough to speak to him for his eyes remained a deep orange, tinged with gold to reflect the deep sadness that he felt, as well as representing the madness pervading every fibre of his being with no sign of reprieve. The only time anyone could speak to him was when he was working on one of his many creations, all of them featuring the colour blue. It was no secret who they were for- Alice.

Despite his grief, Tarrant noticed the changing scenery of his homeland and rejoiced that it was now thriving as the rule of Mirana thrived, however he could not stop imagining Alice joining in the celebrations as she had almost single-handedly allowed for this to happen.

Through all of the Hatter's ramblings and rampages, Absolem kept a constant vigil in order to ensure that Tarrant remained somewhat 'normal' for Alice's return. In addition to watching over the Hatter, Absolem regularly consulted the Oraculum and on one particular occasion, it revealed something of extreme importance, therefore he quickly made his way to the palace to alert the White Queen to what he had seen.

Mirana sat at ease in her throne room as she awaited an audience with the local mayor. Absolem flew into the room.

"What news Absolem?" Mirana asked curiously.

"Majesty, Alice is to return, however the threat of the Red Queen has come to fruition as she has broken the bonds of her exile and even now approaches the location of the Rabbit Hole to await Alice's return. She does not know how soon Alice is to return, however." Absolem said, as Tarrant unexpectedly entered the room, clearly upset or consumed by his madness as his eyes were glowing a bright orange.

"Tarrant?" Mirana inquired, knowing that despite his madness, Tarrant would not come into the room unless there was something urgent that he wished to inform her of, or to simply chat with her. If she was busy, Tarrant would not enter at all or at least not without being announced by the chess pieces situated outside the doors.

As if to attest to this fact, two chess pieces, both of them Knights entered the room apologising profusely. Tarrant simply watched the scene with interest as his madness faded.

"Forgive me, Mirana. I wished to tell you that I completed your latest order a few moments ago. I do hope that you do not mind the colour blue as I thought it would compliment you...I will leave now." Tarrant said, bowing before turning to leave the throne room, without fully realising what he had said, with all the haste with which he had entered it.

"Tarrant, please stay." Mirana said gently, slightly worried that he had slipped up with the colour of her order however she understood what was behind his words- his love for Alice. She invited Tarrant to sit beside her, smiling sadly at him.

Tarrant nodded before seating himself, only allowing himself one anxious glance in Absolem's direction. That is when the news that Absolem had delivered rushed into his mind.

"Alice is coming back?" he managed to ask, his voice tight with emotion.

"Yes, you infinitely stupid man!" Absolem shouted as Tarrant's eyes glowed an emerald green that Mirana had missed seeing.

"Alice will return soon Tarrant." Mirana said kindly, giving Absolem what amounted to a glare, at least according to Mirana.

Tarrant could barely contain his joy at this turn of events, however Absolem's declaration that the Red Queen had returned had worried him greatly. It had nearly been two years in Underland and Tarrant had hoped for Alice's return sooner, however none of that mattered anymore. Before more could be said on the subject, Tarrant had sped out of the room no doubt to ready himself for the return of the woman who had captured his heart.

...

Alice sat in her room telling her mother all about Underland and its strange inhabitants, except for the Red Queen and the Jabberwocky that she had single-handedly slain. Helen could not believe that such a place existed, what with its talking flowers and clothed animals, but she could see why Alice wished to return to such a colourful place. A long time ago, Helen recalled Charles telling similar stories about a similar world and now she couldn't help but wonder if it were the same place that Alice was describing in such vivid detail.

Alice stopped mid-sentence, partially describing the beauty of the palace at Marmoreal, when she realised that her mother was not paying attention to her tale.

"Mother?"

This was enough to break Helen from her reverie, allowing her to respond, "please continue. Tell me more about Tarrant. Is he as strange as the other people who inhabit...Underland?" Helen asked, allowing some of her natural curiosity to shine through in her voice.

Alice smiled before responding, "He is, but he is fiercely loyal and kind. You would not approve of him as he is quite mad but he makes me laugh and smile. Mother, I do love him, despite his madness," she finished, suddenly afraid that she would be forbidden from returning to Underland.

Helen smiled before reassuringly saying to Alice, "Then you must return to him. You do not need to worry about me accepting him, for I would accept anyone who had captured your heart so completely without hesitation."

Alice sat in her seat, shocked. When her mother's declaration processed in her mind, she rushed to hug Helen. Helen returned the embrace and thus the two Kingsleigh women sat in peace before the storm of the next day.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Hey guys, sorry for the long absence once again! I have been busy handwriting this story and at the moment I am up to Chapter 7, now to type it all up... Thanks for the patience with this story.**_

 _ **BTW- Alice belongs to Lewis Carroll and Tim Burton and all others associated with these.**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 4**_

The next day in London dawned sunny and clear. Alice awoke with a sense of dread that she could not exactly explain. As she dressed in her customary blue, the feeling of unease grew which filled Alice with extreme anxiety about the day ahead. This was despite the fact that she would be returning to her beloved Underland and that she would be seeing Hamish, whom she counted among her few friends from Above, in spite of the failed engagement that their parents had such high hopes for.

Helen was awaiting Alice's presence in the small dining parlour, sipping her tea as she tried to wait patiently for her youngest daughter to appear. At last, Helen saw Alice enter the parlour, albeit a little too pale in comparison to her usually pale porcelain skin.

"Alice, dear, are you well? You seem a bit out of sorts." Helen asked, concerned that her daughter was ill.

"I am well. I do not feel eager to meet the woman that Hamish has selected to be his wife, however. I just wish to return to Underland, which I consider to be my true home." Alice said, smiling faintly, despite her unease.

Helen nodded before taking another sip from her tea cup. The rest of the morning was a quiet affair; however Alice's sense of anxiety rose as the appointed time to meet the Ascots approached.

As usual, the short carriage journey was relatively quiet as Alice relived her adventures Below and thought of the man with emerald eyes that she was hoping to return to. Helen smiled sadly at her daughter as she knew this would be the last carriage ride she would take with Alice, as she would be far away by the end of tea.

Lady Ascot was waiting at the door to greet the Kingsleigh women with a cold façade that caused Alice to be pleased that she did not marry Hamish, and standing alongside her was a well-bred young lady who was presumably Hamish's fiancée.

Alice and Helen were both introduced to the young lady in question, a Miss Josephine Whitely whose father was a Lord, declared Lady Ascot with great pride. The young lady had the good grace to blush at this declaration, causing Alice to sympathise with young Josephine.

The group slowly walked to the pavilion in which the tea was to be served. They were soon joined by Lord Ascot and Hamish Ascot under the shelter of the pavilion.

"Alice, how nice to see you. You look well, you are, I hope?" Hamish enquired cheerfully.

Alice smiled before replying, "It appears that I should congratulate you on your engagement. Your fiancée seems like a nice young lady. I sincerely hope you are very happy together."

Hamish nodded his thanks whilst Josephine looped her arm into Hamish's, looking rather smug all the while which caused Alice to mentally recoil in disgust.

Lady Ascot gestured for her guests to be seated and tea began. Lord Ascot began a tale about the men and their antics aboard ship as he had made strides in his company which had been purchased from Helen shortly after Charles' death.

Alice smiled at the story for she enjoyed adventures of any sort and ships provided an avenue for one to see the world.

Suddenly, a snide voice interrupted, "Alice, have you a man in your life? I should dearly like to meet him."

Alice grinned before replying, "Thank you, I do have a gentleman. He is a milliner to his queen."

Everyone stared at Alice agog and in that moment, Helen could not be prouder of her daughter.

"Excuse me, I could not be more delighted for you Hamish, however I desire a walk in the gardens if you wouldn't mind." Alice declared, turning to her mother in silent communication that it was time for her to return to the Hatter. Helen nodded sadly, bidding Alice to go.

Hamish however was confused and offered to escort Alice. She refused gracefully and turned on her heel. In a few moments, Alice was completely gone. Once she entered the shade of the garden, Alice ran to where she was sure the rabbit hole was.

Mirana beamed as preparations for Alice's return were completed. She had personally overseen the arrangement of a room for Alice which was decorated with her signature blue, providing a stark contrast to the white of the rest of the room and the entire palace.

Preparations extended throughout the palace to the grand ballroom in which Mirana would hold a magnificent party to welcome her friend and Champion.

In contrast to these chaotic preparations, Tarrant was still. His excitement buzzed beneath the surface but it was confined by fear. The fear that Alice was not returning and that he was dreaming.

As he sat in his workshop, he contemplated his latest creation and gift to Alice. It was a dress of midnight blue which seemed to glow in certain lights. The bodice would hug Alice's slight frame and flare out from her hips, pooling at her feet. As with all of Tarrant's creations, it was hemmed in silver thread which offered faint highlights and enhanced the overall picture. Tarrant decided he liked it and stood up from his stool and left the room, locking the door before he walked down the hall.

As he walked the halls of the palace, he marvelled at the blue decorations littering the small ledges that lined the halls. He smiled as he imagined Alice's face when she saw what had been done in her honour.

McTwisp on the other hand was busy leading their Champion to Underland. As he led Alice once more to the rabbit hole, he wondered what he had observed between his Champion and the noblewoman. He wondered if it was true, that Alice was returning to Underland because she loved the Hatter or because the noblewoman had insulted her. McTwisp paused to ensure that Alice was still following before continuing down the path. Still hidden by small shrubs, the rabbit hole stood beneath a tree, allowing McTwisp to await Alice's arrival.

Alice eventually caught up to McTwisp, albeit slightly out of breath from the corset that she had been forced into. She spotted McTwisp and grinned. She was one step closer to home. McTwisp gestured to Alice that she should follow him, which Alice did despite being unsure as to what McTwisp was asking of her.

"Alice, we need to go a different way." McTwisp suddenly said, as if being able to read Alice's mind.

"Why? Why can't I go down the rabbit hole like last time?" Alice enquired curiously.

"The Red Queen has broken her exile and it is likely that she wishes to find you so that you can suffer the same fate as her Jabberwocky. Mirana has found a way for you to return undetected to the palace at Marmoreal, as the Red Queen's guards that she found in the Outlands are guarding the entrance to the rabbit hole." McTwisp informed her, whilst handing her a vial of silver liquid.

With a shrug, Alice opened the vial and emptied its contents into her mouth. Nothing happened for a few moments, before she slowly disappeared. Alice marvelled at Mirana's abilities to concoct such potions and liquids before she felt herself start to fall...

 ** _As always, can't wait to hear what you thought!_**


	5. Chapter 5 part 1

**_Hey guys, thought I would update once more. Sorry for the short chapter but I should be able to post the second part soon so hopefully that will make up for this chapter. I split it because it would have been an extra long chapter and I didn't want the chapters to be so long that you guys lose interest!_**

 ** _To all those who reviewed, thank you!_**

 ** _Here are a few replies (these are guest readers and there is no other way to respond to them :) )_**

 ** _Just me: thank you for your kind review and I hope that you enjoy this chapter!_**

 ** _Guest: thanks for your amazing review. It made me so happy to know that you appreciate where I am going with this story and that you are able to picture what I am talking about. Hopefully you can do that with this chapter :)_**

 ** _tiffany: thanks!_**

 ** _James Birdsong: thanks for your continued support! :)_**

 ** _BTW, I don't own Alice. She belongs to Carroll and Burton and other associated people._**

* * *

As she fell, Alice wondered how this journey was different. Soon enough, she was able to answer her own question as she landed gracefully on a pale white marble floor. She was home!

It took Alice a few moments to take in the white walls that were gently decorated with touches of blue. This caused Alice to smile as she realised that this was done for her.

In the gardens, the usually mad tea party was underway, presided over by Tarrant who had decided to join in the excitement of having the Champion return. Mirana sat next to him in a seat of some honour on his left hand side, the right hand noticeably empty.

Alice decided to explore the palace, somewhat disappointed that she would not be able to see the Hatter as his tea party was beyond the palace walls. The decorations dotted throughout the palace, entertaining her and distracting her from her sadness.

As she passed a window that overlooked the beautiful gardens with white roses and cherry blossoms complimenting and contrasting the lush green grass, she noticed a long table in the centre of what appeared to be a courtyard. As Alice continued to marvel at the beauty of the gardens, her attention was drawn to the guests of the tea party, particularly a certain milliner with wild orange hair and intricate top hat.

At this pleasant sight, Alice's breath caught in her throat from the excitement of seeing her dear friend Tarrant once more. Restraining herself slightly, Alice hastened through the halls in search of the entrance to the garden. Before she could get very far in her search, a voice above her spoke before revealing the ever elusive Cheshire Cat.

"Good to see you again, love. Been a long time hasn't it? Are you going anywhere in particular?" Chess asked, sporting his trademark grin, clearly anticipating her answer.

Alice smiled; glad to see one of her friends again, before replying, "That depends. I was going to visit the Hatter, but I do not have a guide."

Chess's grin extended, if it was possible.

"I will take you to the Hare and the Hatter, but that's the end of it." Chess replied, before promptly disappearing.

Alice began to wander down the hall once more, however she knew that she would eventually reach her destination. As she walked, she wondered what she would say to the Hatter.

Before she knew it, Alice reached a pair of glass double doors, beyond which was lush, emerald green grass. Chess appeared for the briefest of moments to bid Alice Fairfarren before leaving once more.

Suddenly anxious about her meeting with the Hatter, Alice took a moment to gather her muchness before walking into the almost paradise beyond the glass doors.


	6. Chapter 5 part 2

_**Told ya I would be back soon with the next exciting instalment of the story :)**_

 ** _This chapter will have a bit of AlicexTarrant fluff :) Let me know what you think as usual._**

 ** _Also, Tarrant's Scottish accent will be coming through more in this chapter so let me know if I have written this properly._**

* * *

As Alice walked through the doors, she was astounded at the beauty to be found in the garden, but enjoyed the petals of the cherry blossoms slowly floating to the soft grass that cushioned Alice's feet as she made her way silently towards the bright tea party.

Finally, she reached the table undetected by the majority of the guests, as Mallymkin had just so happened to glance in her direction, however with a gesture to remain silent from Alice, she did not alert the rest of the table.

Smiling to herself, Alice took her usual seat at the table, to the complete surprise of the guests, except for Mirana and Mallymkin, for Mirana knew that Alice would return to Underland and Mallymkin had seen her come to the table.

Out of all the guests, it was Tarrant who was the most shocked. For a full five minutes, Tarrant was rendered speechless.

"Alice, it is good to see you my dear." Mirana said with a smile.

"It is good to return to my friends. I was quite miserable without seeing all of you." Alice replied earnestly, looking around the table as she spoke so as to include all present in her statement with her gaze finally resting on Tarrant.

Tarrant had not moved an inch during Alice's greeting to her friends. He continued to stare straight ahead, as if in a trance, his eyes slowly darkening for some inexplicable reason.

Despite Alice's clear happiness at being in the one place that felt like home, the Hatter's reaction was shocking and upsetting her.

"Maybe I should go..." Alice said, standing up to leave the table, no longer able to restrain her sadness.

"Where do ye think yer goin', lass?" a thick Scottish brogue asked suddenly.

"I _was_ leaving as you..."

"I didnae say anythin' did I?" Tarrant asked, grasping Alice's hand as if his very life depended upon it. Alice smiled and slowly extricated herself from Tarrant's grasp before resuming her seat.

A tense silence hung over those gathered at the tea party, however Mirana seemed to be the only one to notice the glances Alice was giving Tarrant and the way that Tarrant's eyes glowed a particularly bright shade of emerald green. Mirana smiled as the couple barely took notice of the other party guests.

At that moment, Thackery threw a scone at Tarrant as he knew that Tarrant was being most rude in ignoring his guests. Tarrant frowned at the impact of the scone upon his face.

"Thackery, please, not in front of Alice." Tarrant reprimanded, slightly annoyed.

Mirana chose that moment to exit the party, as she had to address her court about the arrival of their Champion and the ball that was planned in her honour.

"Please excuse me, but I have urgent things to care for." Mirana said, gracefully rising from her seat and walking in the direction of the palace.

Alice smiled, enjoying simply being in the one place that was home to her.

Thackery and Mallymkin fought about scones and other trivial matters while Tarrant finally drew the muchness to speak to Alice.

"Lass, it's really nice to have you back." Tarrant said, smiling at Alice.

Alice smiled back before replying, "Thank you. It is nice to be home."

"Home? You, you...are staying?" Tarrant said with his voice thick with emotion and excitement.

"Yes, I am staying." Alice affirmed, smiling.

Tarrant's eyes glowed a brilliant shade of purple, the likes of which Alice had not seen before, causing her to wonder what it meant.

"Alice, would you like to go for a walk with me in the gardens?" Tarrant asked, suddenly unsure of himself.

"Of course. I have not had much of a chance to explore yet." Alice said, rising to stand.

Tarrant gallantly offered his arm to Alice, which she accepted, and together they walked away from the table leaving the Hare and the Dormouse staring agog at them.

The further into the garden they walked, the more at ease Alice felt. She wondered if it was part of the magic of the peaceful garden or simply the company of one of her friends. Alice pondered her father's reaction to the beauty that she was witnessing. The blossoms slowly falling from the trees like snow onto the lush, emerald green grass. She wished her father could see this type of beauty, for she remembered his love of nature and odd things.

She totally forgot about the Hatter as she saw a waterfall. Alice had not seen very many, as her mother had forbidden her from accompanying her father when he travelled to far places such as the Americas and the far reaches of Europe.

Alice ran forward to get closer to the waterfall. Tarrant's arm went slack, which slightly confused him as he was just becoming used to having the weight of her arm on his own. He noticed a blue dress far ahead at the waterfall, which brought a smile to his lips before he raced to join Alice.

Alice heard footsteps behind her as she admired the waterfall- the water seemed to be flowing over some sort of gem, for it did not appear to be any type of rock that Alice had seen.

"This is a beautiful sight, is it not?" Tarrant asked, suddenly appearing to be slightly awkward, which had the effect of confusing Alice.

Unsure, Alice replied, "It is magical. I wish my father could have seen this sight for he would surely be as enchanted as I am."

"Of course." Tarrant said, cursing his inability to say more as he had become self-conscious around Alice.

"I have important orders to complete, so I will need to return with haste to the palace to complete them in time. Do you wish to see where you are staying, for the Queen will surely offer you a room within the palace?" Tarrant rambled, his madness flaring in his sudden nervousness around Alice.

Alice smiled as she placed her hands on his cheeks to calm him, reminded of a similar scenario albeit the setting and circumstances were different.

"Of course I shall return with you. I should like to see your workshop and you working at your trade once more."Alice said, hoping to put the Hatter at ease.

Nothing could have alarmed Tarrant more than this declaration, his thoughts flying to his magnificent creation and many hats that had been created in his madness. His facial expression must have revealed the depth of his dislike for Alice's suggestion that she was slightly taken aback, trying once more to quell her disappointment; however the Hatter's alarm served to reignite her curiosity with regard to the man who she considered to be a very close friend.

Tarrant didn't seem to notice Alice's disappointment as he once more offered her his arm so that he may escort her to the palace.

As they walked out of the garden and into the palace, Alice pondered the Hatter's odd reaction to her presence. She had hoped that he would be glad to see her once more, and she supposed that he was but there was something else in his gaze that Alice could not figure out.

"Alice, we shall speak to the Queen about arrangements for your stay in Underland." Tarrant announced as they neared the double doors of the throne room.

Alice simply nodded, as she was lost in her thoughts about the man beside her.

The throne room was silent, except for the little sighs that escaped Mirana's lips. She had hoped that her absence would allow the couple to reacquaint themselves with each other. She had spoken to her court briefly about the preparations for the ball to be held in Alice's honour, which was now scheduled for the next evening. Mirana could not wait to see Alice's reaction to the ball and the decorations.

At that moment, the couple that she had been thinking about entered the room. Mirana could sense Alice's confusion about some matter that she could not work out.

"What ails you, my Champion?" Mirana asked, gently trying to find out the problem.

"Nothing, your Majesty." Alice replied, forcing a smile.

"Alice, please, I would hope that we are friends and as such I would like it if you would call me Mirana, at least in private." Mirana said happily.

Tarrant chose that moment to speak, "Mirana, I was wondering if a room could be prepared for Alice."

Mirana smiled, as the room she had planned to give Alice was finally ready, and it was beautiful.

"Of course. I have a room prepared for your stay Alice, however long it may be." Mirana replied.

The throne room doors were suddenly thrown open and a guard strode confidently into the room, bowing low to Mirana.

"Majesty, I have urgent news. It is the Red Queen." The guard said.

Mirana rose from her seat in alarm before replying, "Captain, are you certain?"

"I have it on good authority that she has broken her exile." The captain affirmed.

Tarrant and Alice had witnessed this exchange and were slightly panicked. For Alice, she knew that once more she would have to face the Red Queen if her home was to be free of the terror that she invoked once and for all.

The captain of the guard realised that his information would cause panic for his Champion who, it was rumoured, had just arrived in Underland. Of course he noticed the woman next to the Mad Hatter and that's when he realised that he was in the presence of the Champion.

"Forgive me, my Champion. I did not recognise you." The captain said, bowing in Alice's direction.

Alice blushed at receiving such treatment before replying, "It is alright. I have only lately arrived in Underland."

The captain bowed once in Alice's direction and once to Mirana before sweeping out of the throne room.

Mirana tried to muster a smile; however she was not really able to, due to the latest information.

"Sorry for the interruption, Alice, however it appears arrangements will need to be made to face my sister if and when she comes near Marmoreal," Mirana said grimly before continuing, "Tarrant, would you mind escorting Alice to her room as it is quite near to your own, in fact it is right next to it." Mirana said with a smile.

Tarrant stared, slightly dumbfounded, at Mirana but nodded. He glanced at Alice before leaving the room, forcing Alice to hasten after him if she did not wish to become lost in the vast, white halls of the palace.

She caught up with Tarrant, slightly out of breath. Alice reflected that the captain of the guard seemed familiar though she was sure that she had never met him. She wondered why he had barely acknowledged the Hatter but had bowed reverently to her.

"Hatter, what is the name of the captain of the guard, he failed to mention what it was. Why have I never met him?" Alice asked, curiosity coursing through her veins.

Noticing her use of his profession, Tarrant replied, "He is new to the post, that's why you did not meet him last time. As for his name, well that is interesting. His name is..." Tarrant said, clearly toying with Alice.


	7. Chapter 6

**_Yay! I'm back! Sorry for my absence, I have been writing ahead in this story by hand and haven't really had the time to type it all up. As always read and review. Alice doesn't belong to me (Lewis Carroll and Tim Burton etc do) Enjoy!_**

* * *

"His name is..."

Alice's curiosity could barely stand the suspense, however she tried to remain calm. Tarrant glanced briefly at her, as if to see if she would take the bait, before continuing to speak.

"Alice, his name is Charles."

"Like father..." Alice murmured, trying not to reveal her excitement. Her father had often told her about magical and fantastical places where anything could happen and Alice dearly hoped that her father had found his way to Underland and had not perished in the sea as she had been told her entire life.

"Tarrant, do you think it could be my father?" Alice asked hopefully.

Tarrant looked at Alice with comfort in his eyes as he replied, "Alice, Charles came to Mirana when you arrived last time. He asked her to not reveal his presence to you, for some reason. On the Frabjous day, he refused to fight, mentioning pain. That's all I know about this man." Tarrant finished with a shrug.

Alice tried to fight her curiosity, however it won out.

"Tarrant, surely you know more." Alice begged, desperate for answers as to what happened to her father, as she did not want to believe that he had perished in the sea.

"Please Alice; it is not for me to tell. You will have to ask Mirana about it, for she knows more than I. Shall we continue to your room?" Tarrant asked brightly before continuing down the hall.

Sighing, Alice nodded and followed Tarrant down the hallway. He stopped at a door that appeared to be the same as all of the others in the hall, except for the slightly blue hue that seemed to make the door glow in an ethereal manner.

With a smile, Tarrant opened the door with a flourish and beckoned Alice into the room, a smile on his face the entire time.

The room was tastefully decorated in blue of various shades- the bedspread and cushions were navy blue, whilst the feature wall behind the bed was Alice blue. As for the rest of the room, the white complemented the blue and contrasted to the rest of the room. At the end of the room, there was a balcony which sported a view of the palace gardens. The balcony was particularly special for Alice and Tarrant as it had witnessed their flourishing relationship on the night before Frabjous Day.

Alice stared in awe at her room. She walked over every inch of it until her curiosity was satisfied, at which point she stood in the middle of the room.

Tarrant had been quietly observing Alice's reaction to her spacious room and smiled. She was exactly the way he remembered- curious. As he continued to watch her, he concluded that their earlier conversation about Charles would need to be completed at a later time, for Alice's curiosity had not been satisfied on this topic.

"So do you approve, Champion?" Tarrant asked, trying to gain Alice's attention once more as he felt quite forgotten whilst she was exploring her new/old room.

"Champion? Tarrant, why the sudden formality? Of course I absolutely love the room, especially the memories of our time during my last visit on the balcony." Alice replied with a smile, turning to face Tarrant.

Tarrant smiled sheepishly, replying, "I merely wished to gain your attention. You were so wrapped up in your own thoughts that it felt like I did not exist," as his eyes settled on the ground.

"Hatter," Alice asked gently before continuing, "please. You are so important to me and I never want to make you feel unimportant in any way. Just now, I was remembering the last conversation we had on the balcony, but especially the way I made you feel. You seemed so upset when I told you that you weren't real and I..."

Tarrant interrupted Alice's rambling with his soft lips upon her own. The kiss was tender and full of the love that Tarrant felt for Alice. Soon enough, they were forced to part.

Alice looked at Tarrant and found that he was gazing at her, his eyes fading into purple and gold, thus revealing his true feelings for Alice. They smiled at each other before Tarrant spoke.

"If you'll excuse me, I feel that I must retire for the evening." Tarrant said with a slight bow before walking to the door.

"Tarrant, goodnight..." Alice said with a smile.

Chess grinned his signature, infuriating grin as he floated undetected out of Alice's room. He knew that his Champion had feelings for one of his closest friends, despite the trouble he caused him on an almost daily basis.

Whilst Chess wanted to remain in the confidence of his Champion and his friend, Mirana had said that she wished to be apprised of the situation as she knew that they had feelings for each other but may take a while to admit it.

Her majesty sat in her private quarters, staring into the hearth at the blazing fire. She wondered of Alice and Tarrant had admitted their feelings to each other, as it would make the ball she had planned more interesting and lovely for her Champion.

Chess slowly faded into the room, his grin being the first feature to appear.

"Chess, a pleasure to see you so soon. Do you have something you wished to speak to me about?" Mirana asked with her eyebrows raised slightly.

"I do. Majesty, they did admit their feelings for each other." Chess announced gleefully.

Mirana squealed in excitement. She could not be happier for her two dearest friends.

"Thank you Chess." Mirana said with a nod, having regained her composure, effectively dismissing Chess.

Mirana smiled to herself. Everything was working perfectly.

Just as Mirana was about to settle into her bed, a knock at the door announced the presence of someone who needed her.

She opened the door, only to find Charles her captain of the guard standing there out of breath and dishevelled.

"Charles? Is everything alright?" Mirana asked, urgency seeping into her voice.

"Majesty, there are soldiers ready to defend you. There is nothing to worry about; Underland is safe, for now. I wished to speak to you about Alice." Charles said, slightly out of breath as he had hurried from his duties to the queen's quarters.

"Alice? Is everything alright?" Mirana asked anxiously.

Charles sighed before continuing, "Mirana, has Alice said anything to you about me? I ask only because I feel that she may get curious about my identity. You have permission to tell her about me and who I am, if she asks." Charles said.

Mirana nodded before a yawn forced her to admit to herself that she was tired. Seeing this, Charles excused himself.

With thoughts of joy regarding her Champion and milliner and the steps that would be taken in order to reunite Alice with the father she never knew, Mirana fell into a deep slumber.


	8. Chapter 7

**_Hey guys, thanks for all of the follows and favourites. Would really love some more feedback about how this story is going and I know that you guys are still reading this story and haven't given up on it. Sorry for the delay between updates but I usually wait until I get at least one review :) Let me know what you guys thought of this chapter- reviews are greatly appreciated and spur me on to continue writing this story._**

 ** _Also, Tarrant's brogue comes through more in this chapter, so if you don't think it is accurate, feedback would be greatly appreciated. I tried to make it as accurate as possible._**

 ** _On with the story..._**

* * *

The next morning, Alice awoke and smiled sleepily as she remembered the events of the day before, but especially the tender moment she had shared with Tarrant.

Outside of her room, the final preparations were being made for the ball to be held in Alice's honour.

The ballroom was adorned with glittering blue jewels strung along the length of the room. In addition, there were blue flowers in vases dotted around the room, giving the room a heavenly perfumed scent. The overall effect of this scene was a brilliant contrast to the pristine white walls of the rest of the ballroom.

As Alice finished dressing in the dress she had worn the day before, she heard a knock at the door and someone entering.

"Alice?" a voice asked uncertainly from the door.

Turning to the door, Alice found that it was Tarrant standing in the doorway. She smiled and beckoned for him to fully enter the room.

"Hatter! What a lovely surprise." Alice said, smiling and blushing slightly as he smiled his trademark gap-toothed grin.

"Alice, there is to be a ball tonight in your honour and I..." Tarrant said, beginning to stutter in his nervousness.

Stepping closer to Tarrant, Alice replied, "Yes, of course."

"But you do not know what I was asking you." Tarrant responded.

"I accept your invitation to the ball. I hope you shall escort me, as I would not have anyone else escort me." Alice said, her blush deepening slightly.

"Thank ye, lass." Tarrant said, his eyes flashing gold.

"Well, well. Isn't this a lovely sight?" Chess said, casually floating into the room.

"Ye mangy thing! Leave me alone!" Tarrant said, beginning to get annoyed with Chess for intruding a private moment.

"Tarrant, please. Chess, you should give warning before entering the room." Alice scolded.

To his credit, Chess had the good grace to at least appear embarrassed. Tarrant, too, seemed ashamed of his behaviour.

At that moment, the captain of the guard, Charles, walked into the room.

"Champion. Hatter." Charles said as he nodded in the direction of the two.

Alice was curious about the purpose of the captain's visit to her room and said as much.

"I am here to tell you that the threat to Underland has been increased and thus the need for you to fill your position as Champion sooner than expected. I will tell you more as I escort you to the training facilities to ensure that you are ready to face the Red Queen if and when she appears to terrorise her sister and the kingdom. Forgive me for intruding, but it is urgent." Charles concluded.

"Tarrant, I am so sorry. I will see you soon?" Alice said, upset that she had to leave Tarrant.

"Aye, later." Tarrant nodded, somewhat downcast.

As Alice walked down the hall next to Charles, she could not forget Tarrant's facial expression as she had walked out of the room. She tried to focus on what Charles was saying.

"Champion? Have you heard anything I have said?" Charles asked, rather annoyed at his Champion's apparent lack of attention in such dire circumstances.

"Sorry. I have been distracted as of late." Alice said sheepishly.

"Alice. Please. We did not get the right start to our friendship, if I may call it that, but I would like to start over." Charles said, coming to a standstill in the middle of the hallway.

"Of course. You remind me of someone I used to know. Must be my imagination, forgive me." Alice said as she shook her head slightly.

"I do?" Charles asked with interest, wondering if Alice had guessed the connection between them. He hoped that she had, for his heart ached with the deception that he was using on her and wished to openly acknowledge her as his daughter once more.

Alice nodded before responding, "Yes, you remind me of my late father. You have the same eyes."

With a deep breath, Charles responded, "Alice, we have not known each other for very long, but if news of you father were to be known, would you wish to be informed?" Charles inquired.

Quizzically, Alice turned to face Charles, before responding in a strained voice, "You have news of my father?" She knew it could not be so, for her father had been quite dead for quite some time or so she had thought.

"Perhaps we should sit down before we continue the conversation?" Charles suggested with a trembling voice.

With her mind reeling, Alice nodded and continued down the hall to the spacious training facility. Once both she and Charles entered the room, she sat on an available bench. Charles joined her and continued the conversation that had begun in the hall.

"Alice, I do have news of your father." Charles said, nodding.

"What? You do?" Alice exclaimed.

"Yes, Alice. In fact, I have seen him quite recently. He sits before you now, my dear Alice." Charles confirmed.

"Father? It can't be!" Alice said, tears welling in her eyes.

Alice lowered herself onto the floor and wept. Charles joined her and together they sat, embraced in a hug that even Chess was not willing to interrupt. They were found in this position several hours later by Mirana, who had gone to investigate the whereabouts of her Champion and the captain of the guard.

Mirana was touched by the scene before her as she had hoped to reunite father and daughter sooner, had she been permitted to do so.

"Alice?" Mirana asked in order to gain the attention of her friend, effectively interrupting the touching moment.

Looking up as she wiped her eyes, Alice replied, "Yes, Mirana?"

"I believe that Tarrant is anxious to give you a gift as you are to be his date to the ball." Mirana said teasingly as Alice blushed at the implications of love that Mirana was no doubt hinting at.

"Where is he?" Alice asked curiously, hoping that he was in his workshop. She had not forgotten his strange behaviour when she had mentioned it the day before.

"I believe that he is still in his workshop." Mirana said with a smile.

Alice nodded and smiled as she went to find Tarrant. She couldn't wait to share the knowledge that her father was alive with the Hatter. The place that she had once called Wonderland was truly becoming her home and living up to its name.

As she made her way to Tarrant's workshop, Alice's natural curiosity caused her to wonder at the nature of the gift she was about to receive. She knew that no matter what it was, she would love it simply because it was given to her by the man that she loved. This subject kept her thoughts occupied until she reached the double door entrance to the workshop.

The door flung open before she was able to knock, giving her a glimpse of what appeared to be the Mad Hatter. Alice entered the room and was immediately assaulted by the riot of colour that her eyes fell on. In the midst of the chaos, Tarrant sat busily adding the finishing touches to a stunning midnight blue creation.

Not wanting to interrupt the heart-warming sight of her Hatter once more working at his trade, Alice simply stood in the centre of the room, waiting for Tarrant to notice her entrance into the room. When no such recognition was forthcoming, Alice decided to announce her presence.

"Um, Tarrant?" Alice asked, tentatively moving closer to him, not really wanting to tear him away from his work when he was so absorbed in it.

Despite the fact that Alice had spoken, Tarrant continued to work as if she had not spoken. Alice placed her hand on his shoulder, hoping that this would alert him to her presence which he had specifically asked for.

To her delight, this seemed to have the desired effect. Tarrant jerked away from his work as his eyes slowly returned to their usual green as they had flashed a light yellow as he concentrated on his work. Once he saw Alice, he smiled his trademark gap-toothed grin.

"Ah, Alice. I am glad you came." Tarrant said as he moved to hold Alice's hand in his own mercury stained one, oblivious to Alice shaking her head as she smiled. She knew that he was unaware of the efforts she had made to tear him away from his work and she would not change a thing about him for she loved him as he was.

"Mirana said you wished to see me?" Alice asked, with a smile.

"Aye, lass I did." Tarrant said as his eyes changed to a purple that was flecked with gold, reflecting his love for Alice.

Curious as usual, Alice wondered what Tarrant could possibly show her, however her gaze was drawn to the beautiful midnight blue fabric on the work table. She raised her eyebrow questioningly, waiting for Tarrant to reveal his latest creation to her.

"Alice, I have a gift for you. Please close your eyes for a moment while I prepare it. No peeking!" Tarrant said with a slightly mad laugh as Alice pouted.

Alice nodded and closed her eyes. Before she knew it, Tarrant tapped her shoulder and told her to open her eyes.

Situated upon a mannequin, Alice saw the most stunningly beautiful gown. She instinctively walked closer in order to better see the intricate detail that Tarrant had patiently sewn into the midnight blue fabric. Alice gasped as she noticed that a rabbit, cat, tea cup and top hat had made their way into the design which largely consisted of swirls and loops.

Alice could not believe that such a gown had been made for her. She turned to face the Hatter who was eagerly awaiting Alice's reaction and appraisal of his work.

"Tarrant, I love it. It is so beautiful. Surely it is meant to be displayed in a glass case so that it will not be ruined, not worn?" Alice said, touched that anyone would go to such effort for her.

"That, my dear, would defeat the purpose for which it was created. I would rather you wear it in order that people may admire the detail and design upon whom it was created for." Tarrant said gently, slowly coming closer to Alice.

"I will wear it. Thank you for making such a beautiful gown for me." Alice said, allowing the gap to close between them and her lips to touch the Hatter's.

Once their lips met, Alice realised that the Hatter's kisses tasted like tea and cake. The kiss itself was gentle and sweet, lasting a few seconds however Alice was sure that more time had passed.

"Shall I place it in your room for you?" Tarrant asked, seeking to place his attention elsewhere as he had recently started to act embarrassed in Alice's presence and the kiss had definitely taken him by surprise.

Alice smiled bashfully, before she replied, "Tarrant, may I leave it here? I will come and get it when it is time to prepare for the ball."

Tarrant smiled in return which caused Alice's heart to race.

"Shall we join the tea party now?" Tarrant invited, offering Alice his arm with a slight bow in an attempt to remove the slightly awkward atmosphere between them.

Laughing, Alice accepted and they walked arm in arm to the garden which housed the large tea table.

The tea party was in full swing when Alice and Tarrant reached the table arm in arm.

Thackery was slightly put out by the lateness of his friends and voiced these feelings.

"Yer late for tea!" Thackery shouted as he threw a tea cup in their direction, narrowly missing Alice's head.

Alice smiled as she had missed her friends' antics. Tarrant, however, gave Thackery a murderous glance which effectively stopped his and Mallymkin's mad laughter.

Confused as to what had just transpired, Alice turned to look at Tarrant and saw that his features had darkened as he looked at his friends.

"Tarrant, what's wrong?" Alice asked, concerned.

"He nearly hurt you!" Tarrant exclaimed as he pointed to Thackery, unable to believe that Alice could be so calm about the situation.

Alice placed her hands on his cheeks, hoping that this would calm him down as it had done in the past. Fortunately, this tactic worked once more and Alice relaxed as Tarrant's features returned to their usual colouring.

Looking around, Tarrant felt embarrassment and shame at his outburst.

"Thank you Alice. Thackery, old friend, I am sorry for the way I reacted." Tarrant apologised as he sat in his customary seat at the head of the table, inviting Alice to sit as well.

Alice nodded and sat next to Tarrant, thus signalling for the tea party to resume.

For the rest of the afternoon, the tea party continued happily, the earlier incident apparently forgotten.

At last, it was time to begin to get ready for the night ahead. The night of the ball had arrived.

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 _ **Also, if you were wondering where I got the inspiration for the dress, look at the live action Cinderella dress :)**_


	9. Chapter 8

_**I'm baack! Thank you so much to those that reviewed, favourited and followed this story. What started out as a random idea has turned into so much more thanks to you, my readers.  
**_

 _ **The following reviews I was unable to thank due to them being guests (I highly encourage you guys to sign up so that I can PM my thanks)**_

 _ **Tiffany: thanks for your support. I am glad that you enjoyed the chemistry between AxT and hope that you enjoy this chapter when you get around to reading it :) Be assured there will be more fluff and cute moments between Tarrant and Alice, and Alice and her father :)**_

 _ **Miss Mystery: I am glad that you were able to see things happening in your head. I try and play each scene in my head and when I'm happy with it, try and describe it with descriptive words and imagery to ensure that the readers can picture and follow the story in this way. Thanks for your continued support and enjoy the chapter :)**_

* * *

Tarrant offered Alice his hand, which she accepted, and together they walked back towards the palace in companionable silence. Alice told Tarrant that she needed to collect her dress from his workshop and so the couple headed in that direction once they entered the palace.

The palace was abuzz with servants and courtiers going about preparing for the evening, thus taking Alice and Tarrant longer to reach the workshop. Upon opening the door, Tarrant was relieved to find that Alice's dress had not been meddled with and was still waiting on the mannequin.

Alice gently lifted her dress from the mannequin and bid Tarrant fairfarren before leaving to ready herself for the evening.

At last Alice was ready. She admired her reflection as the final touches were made to her outfit.

The dress that she had found breathtaking when she had first seen it had become more so once she wore it. Tarrant had sewn a corset into the gown which Alice found to be quite comfortable when compared with the corsets that she had been forced to wear Above. The silver thread sparkled in the light, illuminating the motifs on the bottom of the bodice, however Alice couldn't tear her eyes away from the top hat in the middle of the bodice. She smiled, hoping that Tarrant would be pleased with his handiwork when he saw the dress on her.

As she surveyed her appearance in the mirror, she heard a knock on the door of her bedroom. She opened it to find her father standing on the other side.

"Father, what a surprise." Alice said with a smile, gesturing for him to enter the room.

Charles smiled at his beautiful daughter and entered the room. He had changed from his normally imposing uniform and knee high boots and now stood before Alice in a tailored white suit and tie, topped with a white top hat which had Tarrant's name written all over the design.

"Well? Will it do?" Alice asked, gesturing to her dress.

Charles smiled and tears began to well in his eyes as he gazed proudly at the young woman his daughter had become.

"Alice, you truly look like the woman I always imagined you would become. I am proud of you and I'm sure that your mother would be too." Charles said as he embraced Alice.

Alice gave a watery smile as tears came to her eyes at her father's words, before she said, "Thank you father. I hope that mother would be proud. Hopefully Tarrant will arrive soon for this is one party that I do not want to be late for."

At her words, Charles' facial expression morphed into one of mischief. Curious as always, Alice asked her father if he had a plan.

"Father, what is that expression for?"

Charles smiled and replied, "What if I were to escort you to the ballroom now and surprise Tarrant with your appearance?"

Alice clapped her hands excitedly and nodded. Surprising Tarrant sounded like a good plan to her and he would be quite surprised and pleased at her appearance no doubt. In response to her excitement, Charles offered her his arm which she accepted. Out the door they went, to the slight bemusement of Tarrant who had, at that moment, decided to walk out of his bedroom and to Alice's. He frowned, shook his head and walked in the direction of the ballroom, ready for the ball to begin.


	10. Chapter 9

_**Hello everyone, so sorry for the long absence but life has a way of taking up the time to write as well as the motivation. Anyway, here is another chapter for my loyal readers. I was pleasantly surprised that my story was added to an AIW community so thank you for that recognition.**_

 _ **There is a bit of AlicexTarrant fluff towards the end of this chapter- you have been sufficiently warned!**_

 _ **On with the story...**_

 _ **I do not own Alice in Wonderland or its lovely characters unfortunately :(**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 9**_

From her position behind the doors leading to the ballroom, Alice could hear that the ball in her honour was in full swing. She glanced at her father, took a deep breath and nodded to the footmen standing on either side of the door.

All of a sudden, the doors were flung open and one of the footmen stepped onto the landing before he announced, "Our Champion, Alice, and her father, Captain of the Guard, Charles."

As he retreated, Alice stepped onto the landing with her father. The room was absolutely silent. Alice gazed at the crowd of people below her and smiled when she saw Tarrant watching her.

Throwing caution and propriety to the wind, Alice practically ran down the stairs, flinging herself into Tarrant's arms.

Tarrant was unprepared for such an action and stepped back slightly in order to brace in preparation for Alice to throw herself into his arms. She hugged him tightly and Tarrant returned the embrace with a smile before he picked her up and spun her in the air.

Alice laughed in delight at the Hatter's carefree, affectionate gesture before she asked to be placed on the ground once more. The second her feet touched the ground, Alice's and Tarrant's lips collided. It wasn't until Charles cleared his throat that the couple remembered that they were not alone.

Once she realised this, Alice blushed and Tarrant merely laughed before he spoke.

"My dear, you look absolutely stunning. You don't look very Alice-y though." Tarrant declared with such a serious expression on his face that Alice couldn't help but laugh.

She raised her eyebrows in silent question, prompting Tarrant to continue, "Your hair. Quite un- Alice-y"

With that, Tarrant proceeded to take out the pins holding Alice's intricate hairstyle together until her curls were free and fell around her shoulders.

Tarrant grinned in triumph and exclaimed, "Much better!"

Mirana had been watching the interaction and smiled gleefully. She had not expected Alice to be so forward in her display of affection which had played out before the eyes of some of her court and her friends.

She felt someone come to stand beside her and turned to find Charles standing there. Charles smiled at her as the music began to play once again when the request was made of the orchestra.

Charles held out his hand to Mirana, silently asking her to dance.

Mirana blushed before placing one perfect, dainty hand into his own. He led her onto the dance floor and began to waltz across the floor, as if there were no one else in the world in that moment.

The rest of the guests on the dance floor stopped when their friend and queen took to the floor, including Alice and Tarrant.

They had been about to dance when Alice was startled by the sight of her father taking to the floor with Mirana, Queen of Underland.

"I had no idea..." Alice murmured, smiling at the affection the pair clearly had for each other.

Tarrant quietly replied, "Neither did I. Neither one of them gave anything away."

Mirana smiled as she was whisked around the ballroom, her vision blurring into a flurry of colours as she was spun faster and faster

"Charles, everyone will see." Mirana said anxiously, hoping to avoid the attention that she knew would come from dancing with Charles; however she was resigned that everyone was already staring at them as they waltzed around the ballroom.

"Mirana, people will talk regardless of what you do. Let them. Relax and enjoy the evening." Charles responded calmly as he continued to lead her around the room with ease.

Mirana nodded and lost herself in Charles' embrace and the lilting melody of the orchestra.

At last, the dance came to an end. Mirana curtsied and then Charles escorted a blushing Mirana back to her throne, which had been moved into the ballroom for the evening.

Alice smiled as she watched the interaction between her father and friend.

Tarrant watched Alice with amusement. He enjoyed simply watching her be, for he had been deprived of this joy for far too long.

Waiting patiently for Alice to notice him once more, as she had become absorbed with contemplating the odd relationship between her father and Mirana, Tarrant thought seriously about confessing his love properly to Alice. Of course they had kissed on a few occasions; however Tarrant had not yet been able to summon the needed muchness to tell Alice his feelings for her.

After what seemed like an eternity to the patiently waiting Hatter, Alice finally turned to face him and said, "Would you like to dance with me?"

Tarrant nodded but then summoning his muchness he responded, "Would you honour me with your presence in the gardens?"

Confused by his sudden change in demeanour, she accepted as her curiosity once again getting the better of them.

The evening was cool and yet slightly warm at the same time, making it perfect weather for an evening stroll.

Alice and Tarrant walked in the garden for several minutes in silence, the only sound coming from the flowers greeting the couple.

When the couple reached the waterfall that had enchanted Alice when she had first arrived in Underland, Tarrant broke the silence.

"Alice, I hope you are enjoying yourself this evening." Tarrant inquired rather lamely due to a failure to fully summon all of his muchness.

Alice responded, "Of course. I get to spend it with my close friends and family. I am so happy to be able to live in Underland; it is where I truly belong."

"Yes, yes. Alice I love you." Tarrant blurted out, seemingly against his will, however he was glad that Alice finally knew of his feelings for her.

"Really?" Alice asked slightly breathlessly due to the fact that she had not been prepared for Tarrant to say such a thing even though she knew of his regard for her.

"Yes, really. How could I not?" Tarrant asked as he gently played with Alice's hair.

Alice smiled and embraced Tarrant before saying, "I love you too, Hatter."

The peaceful scene was interrupted by a rustling sound in the bushes, which startled the young couple and forced them apart. They looked at each other and then turned to face the intruder.


	11. Chapter 10

_**Thank you so much to those that reviewed the previous chapter, it means so much to me! Hopefully you enjoy this instalment as well and if you do, would you mind letting me know? That would be greatly appreciated.** **  
**_

 _ **Ok so on with the show...**_

* * *

To their complete and utter horror, a woman and a man stepped out of the bushes. On its own, this would have been enough to merely startle the couple as their relationship was only beginning to flourish, however coupled with the fact that the man was towering over the woman whose head could only be described as bulbous, the couple certainly had cause for worry.

Tarrant's eyes blazed a fierce orange as he pulled Alice slightly behind him in an attempt to protect her from two of the most infamous enemies of Underland. Alice merely stood there, too stunned, shocked and angry that Iracebeth and Stayne had the gall to show themselves; in the White Queen's garden no less.

Iracebeth laughed sinisterly at the sight before she said, "How cute. You are willing to align yourself with a murderous traitor, Hightopp?"

This served to anger Tarrant even further, however he managed to reply, "Nae, Bluddy Behg Head!"

Alice rested her hand on Tarrant's arm in the hopes that this would calm him; however Stayne chose that moment to speak.

"Hello, Um. I still find you very attractive, you know, but you are so small." Stayne said with a sneer, knowing that his words would make Tarrant crack.

Iracebeth glared at him, for she believed him to have eyes only for her.

Stayne's statement had the desired effect upon Tarrant. He glared at Stayne with all the hate he could muster. He could not believe what Stayne had said about his Alice.

 **xxx**

Inside the palace, in the ballroom, Mirana was worried about her Champion and Hatter as they had been in the gardens for a long time.

Sensing her anxiety, Charles sought to ease her fears.

"Mirana, do not worry, they will return when they are ready." Charles said soothingly, despite the unease that he felt.

At that, Chess materialised without his trademark grin.

"Milady, Charles, you may have some cause for concern." Chess said grimly, much to the dismay of both Mirana and Charles.

"Chess, what has happened?" Mirana asked, her face contorted with worry and concern.

"Iracebeth and Stayne have breached the security at the palace gates." Chess replied.

Mirana's face paled significantly, becoming nearly the same colour as her dress and the rest of the palace. Charles had a similar reaction, reaching for the sword that a nearby guard had girded about his waist, in its sheath. He ran out of the ballroom in search of his daughter and the Hatter.

 **xxx**

Iracebeth and Stayne continued to torment the Hatter. Finally, Alice ran out of patience and decided to ask the obvious question that everyone seemed to have skirted around.

"Iracebeth, what do you want?" Alice asked in a tone that would brook no argument.

Iracebeth laughed, and then replied, "My dear Alice, I should have thought you would have been able to work that one out. Who else killed my beloved pet before my eyes? Who else stole the Bandersnatch from my palace, along with the most powerful weapon in all Underland? And lastly, who stole the crown that was rightfully mine?" she asked in a saccharine sweet tone of voice, however the message was quite menacing.

Alice bristled against the unjust accusations put before her. She knew that she had done all in her power to protect Underland. Instead, she said nothing. Tarrant had apparently been struck dumb by what had been said, however he soon regained enough composure for his anger to flare once more. Before he could act upon his anger, he was interrupted.

"Tarrant, don't!" Charles warned as Tarrant stepped slightly closer to Iracebeth with a knife that he had hidden somewhere on his person.

At Charles' voice, Tarrant calmed sufficiently to gain control of his madness once more. He resumed his position in front of Alice protectively.

Mirana, who had followed closely on Charles' heels, glared at her sister and henchman, for he was no longer a Knave due to the fact that the Red Queen had been deposed.

Mirana spoke then, directly addressing her sister, saying, "Iracebeth, why are you not in the Outlands? You have no power over us now."

"You are wrong, sister. I have great power over your Champion." Iracebeth declared triumphantly.

"You do _not_ have power over me." Alice declared stubbornly.

"Oh, poor Alice. You always were so naive and childish. If I control the Hatter, I control you. Do you think I missed the touching moment you shared before I revealed myself?" Iracebeth asked, eyes glinting sinisterly.

Alice could no longer think rationally. She stared in disbelief and horror that Iracebeth would use Tarrant to get to her.

"Alice, you will answer for the crimes that you committed against me. I will torture you by torturing the Hatter until you are a shell of the woman you are now and he is as good as dead. Then, I will kill the Hatter in front of you, making you wish you were dead." Iracebeth stated menacingly.

"Do nae speak to Alice like that, you Bluddy Behg head!" Tarrant yelled, no longer able to contain his rage as he lunged at Iracebeth and Stayne.

Mirana and Charles could only watch in horror as this scene unfolded, both rendered speechless and powerless to stop the enraged Tarrant.

Unfortunately for Tarrant, Stayne's reflexes were as good as ever and he easily caught Tarrant's wrist before he could inflict harm on them. Iracebeth grinned maniacally as Alice was rooted to the spot, helpless as her Hatter was captured.

"Until next time Alice." Stayne said lazily as he dragged Tarrant alongside him. Tarrant had realised it was futile to resist and so for all appearances went willingly.

Unable to contain her emotions any longer, Alice slumped to the ground and wept. Charles watched as his daughter's body was wracked with sobs that he was powerless to stop. He realised that the Red Queen's plan had succeeded- Tarrant's capture would hurt Alice to the point of incapacitation and thus she would do whatever the Red Queen said in order to ensure his safety.


	12. Chapter 11

_**Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter- they made me very happy and thus a new chapter is here!**_

 _ **Alice is the rightful property of Lewis Carroll and Tim Burton for bringing her to the big screen in live action :)**_

* * *

Charles stood as he watched his daughter grieve the capture of the man she loved. The sound of her tears tore at Charles' heartstrings, making him feel absolutely helpless in this situation.

Slowly, so as not to startle her, he walked over to her and knelt beside her. Alice did not even register that there was anyone near her; such was her level of anguish and pain.

In an attempt to comfort his daughter, Charles wrapped his arms around Alice in silent comfort. Alice's tears continued to fall, giving voice to her sorrow and pain. Mirana watched the scene, touched at the clear affection Charles had for his daughter and the pain he was feeling at not being able to alleviate his daughter's pain.

Alice herself felt as if her world was being torn apart.

 **xxx**

After what had felt like many hours of walking to Tarrant, as the pain in his feet attested to, he and his captors reached their destination. Tarrant was glad for the chance to be able to rest and be free of the rough ropes that held him captive; however he recoiled when he recognised his surroundings.

 _Of course, since breaking her exile, Iracebeth had once again taken up residence in the now crumbling and fading palace in Crims. The towers were partially broken as the White Knights had sought to destroy the building after the Frabjous Day and the liberation of Underland._

Tarrant hissed as he was thrown roughly into one of the cells in the dungeon. Ironically, it was the same one he was placed in the last time that he had been imprisoned by the Red Queen before Frabjous Day, a gesture that was no doubt supposed to torture him further.

He looked gloomily through the bars of the prison and wandered what had happened to Alice as his eyes slowly faded to a dull yellow. He hoped that Alice would be strong and try to find a way to free him from the clutches of the Red Queen.

 **xxx**

Alice sat in the bright garden, mulling over the events of last night. She was still reeling from the shock of Tarrant's capture, feeling personally responsible for his capture due to her lack of action in defending the palace. She also mourned the fact that she had been unable to fully express her feelings for Tarrant and she hated the fact that he did not know how she felt for him.

Mirana gazed out of her throne room window into the garden below at her Champion. She hated to see anyone so despondent, but especially her dear friends. In that moment, Mirana resolved to bring Tarrant back, if only to see her Champion happy once more.

Alice's thoughts, after a while turned to the worst. In quick succession, scenes of her Hatter being tortured in one form after another flew through her mind, ending in his beheading. She hoped that none of these fates befell Tarrant however she could not help her thoughts as she knew well the reputation that the deposed Queen had and that she would do anything within her power to harm Alice by harming Tarrant. These disturbing thoughts reduced her to tears when she thought that she could not shed any more.

 **xxx**

Tarrant's thoughts of Alice were interrupted by the jarring creak of the prison door opening to reveal the infamous and slimy Knave, Ilosovich Stayne.

Tarrant made no attempt to face his captor. He could not care less about why Stayne had come.

"How do you like your new accommodation? Only the best for a member of the Hightopp clan, I assure you." Stayne said snidely as he casually walked up to Tarrant's cell.

Tarrant glared, for Stayne's speech had caused him to turn to face him in anger, causing Stayne to laugh.

"You think dear Alice will come for you? She has been broken and your absence will hurt her more than I ever could." Stayne said with a smirk, before leaving the dungeon.

Stayne's words caused Tarrant to slump against the damp wall of the cell, defeated. His shoulders slowly rose and fell as he cried for the torture both he and Alice were being forced to endure.

"Crying will not help Alice." A voice announced above the despondent Hatter.

Tarrant looked up, slightly confused, as he had believed that he was alone. When he realised that it was Chess, he slowly dried his tears.

"Hello Chess, come to gloat have you?" Tarrant asked, his eyes flashing orange for a moment before returning to the dull yellow they had assumed in recent days.

Chess looked quite offended, his signature grin disappearing before he replied, "No. I come as a friend and in service to our Queen and Champion. Do you wish to give Alice a message? I will tell her that you are despondent if you do not give me any other message. Tarrant, do not lose hope. Alice will come for you." Chess said as he floated around Tarrant's shoulders.

"What could I tell her? She knows what the Red Queen is capable of," Tarrant mused before an idea struck him, prompting him to continue, "Chess, could you tell Alice that I love her?" Tarrant asked as his voice broke due to the depth of emotion in his voice.

"Of course. Goodbye friend." Chess said as he disappeared once more.

Tarrant once again found himself with his thoughts.

 **xxx**

Alice attempted to listen to Mirana's plan however her attention continued to waver. Mirana frequently had to repeat elements of her plan due to Alice inattention.

Mirana's plan was quite good, Alice decided. Mirana's troops would be involved in an attack on the castle where Chess would guide them to where the Hatter was being held captive, all whilst trying to avoid Iracebeth and Stayne. However no mention was made of Alice's role in the plan which led her to believe that she would not be involved at all. This fact disappointed her due to the fact that she would have liked to have been the one to save the Hatter.

The discussions continued over the next two days and it was during one of these discussions that Chess appeared to both Alice and Mirana.

"Chess! You're back!" Alice exclaimed excitedly, which was a change from the gloomy disposition that she had adopted in recent days.

Chess grinned before he responded, "Champion, Mirana. I have found where the Hatter is being held. I also have a message for you Alice."

"Where is he, Chess?" Mirana asked curiously as she had wondered where her sister had been keeping her dear friend.

"The Hatter is being held in the palace dungeons of Crims." Chess replied grimly.

Alice's hands flew to her mouth in shock and horror as silent tears fell down her face. Mirana placed a hand on her Champion's shoulder in comfort which appeared to be enough for Alice to regain her composure.

Alice smiled sheepishly before she said, "Forgive me. I did not expect for him to be held there. Chess, what was the message that you had for me?"

"Come with me, my dear, and I will tell you." Chess said mysteriously.

Together they left Mirana in the throne room and began to walk down the pristine white hallway. Once Chess deemed that they were a suitable distance from the throne room, he stopped and motioned for Alice to do the same.

"Alice, I have a message from the Hatter. He wishes to tell you that he loves you." Chess said.

Alice smiled for even when he was imprisoned, Tarrant's thoughts had been for her.

"Chess, would you please deliver a message to Tarrant for me?" Alice asked, hoping that the pesky feline would agree to do the same for her as he had done for Tarrant.

"Of course, Champion." Chess replied with a slight nod of his head as his grin grew wider.

"Please tell Tarrant that I love him and always will. Please also tell him that he will be rescued." Alice said, a sudden urgency seeping into her voice.

Chess nodded once more and faded into nothingness.

Alice hoped that Chess would deliver her message. She disliked feeling so helpless and thus an idea came to her- she would rescue the Hatter that very night.


	13. Chapter 12

_**Hey guys, back again! This chapter is a bit short so another chapter will likely follow soon. A few thank yous before we get on with the story:  
**_

 _ **Guest: Thank you so much for your supremely kind words. They mean so much to me as a writer! Once again thank you so much and hope that you have continued with the story.**_

 _ **James Birdsong: Thank you for your continued support!**_

 _ **Tiffany Melton: Thank you!**_

 _ **Ok so now on with the story...**_

* * *

As the moon rose high over the walls of the White Palace at Marmoreal, Alice was putting her plan into action.

She dressed in a pair of black training breeches, black shirt and black boots before slowly creeping from her room armed with the Vorpal sword to the Bandersnatch's stall in the massive stables located next to the palace. Once she reached the stall, Alice whispered directions for the Bandersnatch to take her to the dilapidated castle in Crims.

Just when she had thought that she had managed to leave the palace undetected, Alice was startled to hear a voice above her head, thus effectively halting her progress towards the castle in Crims and towards her Hatter.

"Stupid girl. Trying to save the Hatter by yourself will only result in your capture." Absolem scolded, slightly annoyed that the Champion of Underland could put herself in such danger.

"We've been over this before. I am not stupid. I _will_ rescue the Hatter and be back before you know it." Alice countered.

"Very well Champion. I hope you find the Hatter and escape but remember that I did warn you." Absolem relented, before flying on towards the palace.

Alice spurred the Bandersnatch forward, thus beginning her treacherous journey to Crims.

 **xxx**

In the meantime, Chess had once again returned to Tarrant's cell, this time with a message from Alice.

Tarrant had waited as patiently as he could for the feline, and just when his patience appeared to have run out, the cat appeared before him.

"Chess, you're terribly late you know. Naughty." Tarrant said in an attempt to scold the grinning feline for keeping him waiting for so long.

"Forgive me, but I needed to give your message to Alice and wait whilst she replied." Chess said as he landed in the Hatter's lap.

At that, Tarrant's eyes returned to their normal emerald green colour as they had been amber during his imprisonment up to this point.

"What does Alice say?" Tarrant practically demanded in his eagerness to receive word from his love.

Chess rose into the air, slightly tickling Tarrant's face with his tail as he floated across Tarrant to rest at eye level.

"Your Alice sends you this message: She misses you and returns your love. She also says that you shall be freed." Chess declared.

Tarrant sighed. He longed to see Alice again, more than anyone would ever know.

 **xxx**

Alice finally saw her goal- the dilapidated shell of the castle at Crims. She shuddered as she remembered her last visit to the castle and her treacherous crossing of the moat. She sincerely hoped that Tarrant had kept his head both literally and figuratively.

As Alice drew closer to the castle, she saw that there were no guards manning the gates. She knew that the deposed Queen would be confident that no one would come to help the Hatter escape however she could not believe the Queen's arrogance at such an assumption.

The Bandersnatch silently walked through the gates as per Alice's request and into the courtyard where she had confronted Stayne the last time that she found herself there.

The courtyard was completely silent, devoid of all evidence that there had at one time been occupants in the castle. The building which had once housed the Bandersnatch was demolished and the brick wall surrounding the courtyard was crumbling, giving an eerie feel to the courtyard and imposing yet crumbling castle that stood before Alice.

Alice slid off the heaving Bandersnatch and contemplated her next move. _Perhaps Absolem was right_ , Alice mused. She should have made a more thorough plan than simply trying to avoid the Queen and Stayne whilst sneaking around the castle. Shaking these thoughts from her mind, Alice unsheathed her sword and began to walk towards the door of the castle which was rotting, thus allowing Alice easy access to the interior of the castle.

Alice slowly glided along the deathly silent halls of the castle, hoping that no one had been alerted to her presence. That was until a grin appeared in front of her, causing her to stifle a scream.

"Could it be? _The_ Alice?" Chess asked.

"Chess, where is the Hatter?" Alice asked urgently, casting furtive glances along the halls.

"Follow me. Quickly now. The Queen is indisposed and Stayne's whereabouts is unknown to me." Chess responded.

Alice hurried after the quickly disappearing cat. The route was windy and eventually Alice could tell that she was going down into the depths of the castle. She couldn't believe that no one had stopped her which made her slightly suspicious however her excitement to see Tarrant once more outweighed these concerns.

 **xxx**

Tarrant could hear footsteps coming towards him however he did not care. Ever since Chess had said that Alice would come for him, he had imagined her arrival so many times that he dismissed these footsteps as either his imagination or his captors coming once more to torture him.

He turned to face the door of his cell in an attempt to see which intruder it was. Tarrant was greeted with the sight of Alice's blonde locks. He could not believe what he was seeing- _it could not be her, could it?_

"Hatter?" Alice asked as she walked towards the cell that imprisoned her love.

"Alice?" Tarrant asked in a broken voice, unsure as to whether he should trust the information his eyes were giving him- that his Alice had indeed come for him at last.

As Tarrant took in the sight of Alice, something seemed odd. She was dressed like a man. The Alice he knew wore beautiful blue dresses and gowns designed by him.

To Alice's complete horror and shock, Tarrant continued, "Yer not her. Get out." as his eyes and features darkened once more.


	14. Chapter 13

**_Hey guys, I'm back! Sorry for the cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter- I didn't mean to leave it so long before posting the next chapter :)_**

 ** _I would like to respond to the following reviews and say thank you, so here goes:_**

 ** _kawaiiwolvess:Thanks for your support. I honestly hadn't thought about her mother and Hamish so if you have any ideas about what should go down or how I should include them again in the story feel free to PM me. Yeah, a fair bit will be different from Through the Looking Glass (no time travel unfortunately!)_**

 ** _Tiffany Melton: Thank you for your continued support and once again you are mentioned! Thank you so much for your high praise of my work, as I always like to hear when people enjoy what I write. Besides, I have so much fun writing it!_**

 ** _Guest: Thank you! Here is the next chapter for you!_**

 ** _WARNING: Alice will be quite OOC in this chapter but bear with me. I promise that in a few chapters she won't be quite so OOC!_**

 ** _On with the story..._**

* * *

Alice was shocked beyond belief. _Tarrant didn't believe that she stood before him?_ She decided that she would have to prove him wrong, and quickly.

"No? Then who else would come to your aid if not Underland's Champion?" Alice asked, grasping the bars of the cell as she did so, pleading in her eyes.

This caused Tarrant to wonder if he had been wrong. Overjoyed at that thought, his eyes returned to their emerald green hue as he gripped the bars on top of Alice's hands.

"Alice!" Tarrant said happily.

"I told you I would come for you." Alice replied as she set about finding a way out of the cell for Tarrant, namely picking the lock, a skill that she had learned by watching Charles complete the task as part of his training. After a few moments, Alice gave a triumphant shout as she succeeded in her task.

Before she knew it, strong arms encased her body. She froze for a moment but then melted into Tarrant's embrace. This reprieve was unfortunately short lived as the couple's reunion was interrupted.

"Alice, how kind of you to join us." The slimy voice of Stayne said as he casually walked towards the couple, followed by Iracebeth herself.

"Thank you Stayne." Alice replied, her teeth gritted together in rage.

"STAYNE! Remember what we have planned for the Hatter?" Iracebeth asked.

Alice shuddered at what Iracebeth insinuated and sincerely hoped that the crazed woman was not thinking about beheadings.

Stayne's beady eyes gleamed in delight before he replied, "Ah, yes. Now we shall have two! How touching, Underland's Champion comes to save her love and signs both of their death warrants."

With that, the pair swept out of the room leaving Alice and Tarrant alone once more.

Alice was numb with shock as she realised that Absolem had indeed been correct in this matter. It did not matter that she and Tarrant had not been placed behind bars once more, for she felt just as trapped, if not more so.

Noticing Alice's shock, Tarrant wrapped her even tighter in his arms, allowing Alice to breathe in the warm tea scent that was Tarrant, calming her sufficiently to try and escape.

 **xxx**

Mirana paced back and forth in front of the table which was home to maps and plans. She had spent all morning processing the fact that Alice had gone, without any warning, to rescue the Hatter. Absolem had labelled Alice as a 'stupid girl' when he had recounted Alice's reaction before she had left and in this instance, Mirana had to agree with the butterfly.

Charles, of course, was extremely worried for his daughter's safety. Being Underlandian, he knew what the Red Queen was capable as she had beheaded her husband who had been a close friend of his.

He hoped that both Alice and the Hatter would be rescued before it was too late.

 **xxx**

Alice was slowly coming to terms with her death sentence, having realised there was no hope of escape, however she could not stop thinking about how foolish she had been in coming alone.

She paced back and forth along the length of the dungeon which held her captive. She could not stop herself from thinking that soon she would be allowed out of the room and...

At this, Alice finally broke. Her emotions overwhelmed her and she succumbed to her tears, sliding to the floor in her despair.


	15. Chapter 14

_**Hello. Hopefully you have not forgotten this story.  
**_

 _ **Just a few thank yous before we get on with the story:**_

 _ **acetwolf94- Thanks and here's another chapter at long last!**_

 _ **Thorin's wife- Thanks for your kind words!**_

* * *

The days passed and there was still no sign of a rescue team could be seen on the horizon. Tarrant gazed out through the bars of the dungeon trying to see if he could catch a glimpse of his Queen, however no matter how hard he squinted or strained his eyes, there was no one coming.

Alice had not moved from her position on the floor which had served as her bed since that fateful night that she had tried to rescue the Hatter. As he gazed at Alice's sleeping form, she stirred and slowly awoke. When she noticed Tarrant's gaze on her, she smiled up at him and made to sit up however she was so stiff that she could not complete the move.

The couple looked at each other for a moment before Alice spoke, "Tarrant, they will come for us won't they?"

Trying to remain positive for his Alice, Tarrant nodded for he knew that if he spoke, his voice would betray him. Instead he satisfied himself with lowering himself to the floor and drawing Alice close to him in a tender embrace.

In that moment, everything was absolutely perfect. However, the moment was quickly shattered with the grating sound of the heavy metal door being opened.

"Aw, how sweet. The Hatter is trying to protect the oh so mighty Champion." Iracebeth said as she walked through the door, sneering at the couple.

Alice's heart plummeted to her stomach as if it were a stone. She knew the former Queen had planned for them, for she had attempted to do the same to the Hatter the last time she had come to Underland. Her horror must have shown on her face as the Queen merely laughed maniacally as her presence was accounted for.

Alice felt a subtle shift in Tarrant as he held her. She glanced up at him and witnessed his eyes darkening in fury and defiance. She tried to calm him by putting her hand on his which seemed to work as she felt him relax slightly.

During this exchange, Iracebeth looked on silently, a predatory expression painted on her features.

"Alice, dear, you are entirely correct if you suspect that I will not allow you to live. The Hatter will die at dawn and you will follow directly after him. Don't worry Alice, daddy will be there to watch." Iracebeth said gleefully as she left the room.

Alice felt as Time himself had stopped. She could not feel anything, not even Tarrant wrapping her into an embrace. She did not feel tears falling from her eyes and onto Tarrant's jacket which has survived from the night of the ball.

Tarrant felt absolutely helpless. He did not like to see Alice in such despair and he did not want to have to leave her forever, a possibility that he was faced with. Once more, he gazed out of the bars of the dungeon window and hoped that Mirana would be able to save both himself and Alice from their seemingly imminent fate.

 **xxx**

Mirana was constantly searching for a solution to the problem that faced her- saving her Champion and milliner. She paced the length of the map of Underland that hung on the wall in her study. So absorbed was she in her deliberations that a slight knock at the door caused her to jump.

The knocking persisted and opened after a few moments. Standing in the doorway was Charles with an extremely panicked expression on his face.

"Charles! Whatever is the matter?" Mirana asked, anxiety settling in her stomach.

Charles sat in one of the comfortable chairs in front of the fire before speaking, "I have received a letter from your sister."

Mirana paled and asked, "May I see it?"

With shaking hands, Charles handed Mirana the sealed envelope, sealed with the crest of the Castle of Crims.

Mirana quickly broke the seal and began to scan the letter. As she read, she became more and more anxious, causing her hands to shake more. She forced herself to continue reading. Charles watched her closely the entire time and her reaction did nothing to reassure him.

"What is it, Mirana? What does the letter say?" Charles asked with a thick voice.

"We…we are to attend a celebration at my sister's castle. She wants us to see her defeat her enemy- the Champion of Underland." Mirana said with defeat.

Without a word, Charles left the room quickly. Mirana did not rush after him for she was distressed in a similar manner and respected the fact that he needed time to himself.

 **xxx**

In truth whilst being quite distressed at the news Mirana had related to him, Charles was at that moment speaking with his soldiers about a plan of attack on the castle at Crims in order to rescue his daughter and the man that she loved.

His soldiers were alert and prepared. They knew what was to happen and how to ensure the safety of Alice and Tarrant. Charles went back to Mirana to inform her of his plan which she heartily agreed to, for she had not been able to formulate any suitable plan due to her stress and worry over her friends.

It was decided that the soldiers should be ready to begin the journey to Crims by nightfall as this would allow for ample time to search for Alice and Tarrant, hopefully before anyone realised that they had gone from the dungeons that Chess had told Alice about before she tried to rescue him.

 **xxx**

Tarrant watched as Alice prepared for sleep that night and sat beside her with a sigh. He hoped that with the dawn, Mirana and her men would come. If they did not, he knew that he would not live to see her ever again, a thought which greatly pained him.

Alice smiled when she noticed that Tarrant was watching her and came to lie across his legs.

"Tarrant, if we do not..." Alice began in a choked voice.

"Alice, we will. Mirana will come and everything will be alright." Tarrant said soothingly as he placed his hat across his eyes, but not before he placed his jacket across Alice, like a blanket.

With that, the two lovebirds fell asleep hoping that the dawn would bring liberty and not the executioner.


	16. Chapter 15

**_Ta-da, another chapter!_**

* * *

The morning dawned, bringing sunlight to the dreary dungeon. Alice awoke to find herself encased in warmth. Glancing up, she could see Tarrant sleeping with his hat tipped sllightly over his eyes. As if he could sense her gaze upon him, Tarrant's eyes fluttered open to reveal the brilliant emerald of his ever-changing eyes.

He looked down at Alice and smiled his gap-toothed grin. Alice smiled back, however it dropped when she saw the sunrise and heard the grating of the dungeon door as Iracebeth and Stayne entered.

"Alice, stand." Stayne demanded as he moved to force to stand. Tarrant held her tighter , however Alice moved his arms and stood before Stayne.

Stayne wasted no time in binding Alice's wrists together in front of her before doing the same to Tarrant. Stayne then nudged the Champion and Hatter, guiding them out of the dungeon and towards the execution yard.

 **xxx**

Mirana, Charles and her men had ridden through the night in order to reach her sister's castle in time to rescue her friends. Her heart leapt when she saw the castle a little way ahead of her as the sun began to rise above the horizon.

Mirana knew that her sister would wait for her to arrive and yet she spurred her horse forward. Charles caught up to her in no time and the pair could be seen racing in unison towards the red castle.

After a few minutes of hard riding, they arrived at the castle gates and rode through as the gate was unmanned. It was not difficult to find where the executions would take place as there was a great deal of noise ahead of them. They dismounted and went to see what was happening.

 **xxx**

It seemed that all of the Red Queen's allies had come to see one of her greatest enemies done away with once and for all.

Alice could hear the crowd before she could see it as she was led into the sunlight, causing both Alice and Tarrant squinted as their eyes adjusted to the level of light. Stayne continued to lead Alice towards the execution block, where she was forced to walk up the steps and place her head into the middle of the heart execution block.

Alice searched frantically for her father and Mirana, whom she saw, before her head was pushed into the cut out in the block.

"I thought the Hatter was going first?" Alice asked as she looked at the deep well her head would be floating down in a few moments.

"No dear Alice. That would be no fun, we mean to make the Hatter watch. His screams will follow your head to the moat but you will be unable to hear them or stop them." Stayne remarked with an evil grin.

The executioner, dressed all in black, waited at the execution block. His blade was sharpened and gleaming and thus he appeared quite imposing which filled Tarrant with a sense of foreboding.

Alice could feel Tarrant behind her and said what, to all appearances, were her last words.

"Fairfarren." Her words drifted around the courtyard and into the hole beneath her head.

She heard Tarrant return the farewell, as well as another voice which she was extremely glad to hear.

"I must get on with the process, love." Chess said from beneath the cloak he wore, just loud enough for Alice to hear.

Iracebeth screamed, "OFF WITH HER HEAD", signalling Alice's death.

Chess raised the axe at the Red Queen's cue, however this was the signal that Charles had been waiting for to storm the courtyard, effectively saving Tarrant and Alice from an early grave.

Iracebeth fumed, however the White army ensured that the Red Queen would never be a threat to Underland again.

Alice and Tarrant embraced as they realised that they were truly free. They made their way to where Charles and Mirana stood. Alice curtseyed to Mirana, knowing that she would likely be disappointed with her conduct in recent days. Tarrant stood beside her as she made her apologies.

"Champion. You have nothing to apologise for. It is I who should be apologising for not acting sooner." Mirana said, embracing Alice comfortingly.

Alice nodded before flying into her father's arms, holding him close to her. Charles clung to his daughter as if she were anchoring him to reality before letting go.

Charles smiled as Alice and Tarrant held hands, waiting for Mirana to mount her steed in order to return to Marmoreal.


	17. Chapter 16

_**Ok, so after a hiatus of about 3 months, I have at last returned. I'm so sorry for the lack of updates however I'm not sure where I want the story to go and if I want to continue it past where I have written. I'm thinking at least 2-3 more chapters until the end but it may happen sooner if the writing mood doesn't strike. I'm sorry if this isn't one of my better chapters because I looked at it after being away for a while and didn't really enjoy it as much as I originally did but didn't know exactly what was wrong with it.**_

 _ **A few thank yous before we begin the chapter:**_

 _ **James Birdsong- Thank you for your reviews, they make me happy. I hope you enjoy the next instalment!**_

 _ **acetwolf94- Your wish is my command! Enjoy!**_

 _ **SheWolfMedjal- Yep, a little bit more to come, enjoy this chapter and thanks for your review.**_

 _ **Now, on with the story...**_

* * *

Alice and Tarrant wearily climbed down from the Bandersnatch, glad to once again be at the White Palace of Marmoreal.

"May I escort you to your chambers, Alice?" Tarrant asked, observing that Alice was quite tired.

Alice merely nodded for she could not muster the strength to speak.

Silently, Alice and Tarrant walked down the halls of the palace, finally coming to Alice's door.

"Have a good rest dear Alice." Tarrant said as she placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

Alice smiled and returned the kiss before entering her chambers and flopping onto her bed, sound asleep.

Tarrant made his way to his room which was full of colour and stood on the balcony overlooking the gardens, allowing his thoughts to catch up with what had transpired in the past few months.

The next day dawned bright, sharply contrasting the black mood of the previous day.

Alice awoke late, relishing the feeling of the soft sheets and blanket over her, making her reluctant to leave her bed. It was only when she heard a knock at her door that she arose from her bed.

"Who is it?" she called as she threw on a dressing gown.

"It is I." Charles announced.

Alice smiled and opened the door to indeed find her father standing on the opposite side. She motioned for her father to enter.

"My dear, I am so glad that you are safe." Charles said as he came to sit on the edge of her bed, his voice betraying his distress at the events that had come to pass.

"I am too, father. I realise how foolish I was to think that it would be so simple to free Tarrant." Alice replied, her face flushing with embarrassment.

"Alice, you were impulsive," Charles said, gazing at Alice before continuing, "however, Underland would not be safe without you as it's Champion. You were brave both then and now. I am proud to have you for a daughter."

By the end of Charles' speech, Alice was in tears. She embraced her father as if by doing so she would be safe and protected and Charles clung to her with the same ferocity.

Charles broke the embrace, stating, "Come Alice. Mirana is waiting for us to have breakfast with her."

Alice nodded, hoping that Tarrant would also be there.

"And Tarrant?" Alice asked anxiously.

Charles chuckled before he said, "yes, and Tarrant."

 **xxx**

Tarrant and Mirana were waiting for Charles and Alice, sipping tea as they waited. Tarrant appeared calm however he was anxious and agitated, causing Mirana to glance quizzically at her friend.

"What ails you, dear friend?" Mirana asked gently, taking a sip of her tea as she waited for Tarrant to reply.

Tarrant glanced down, unsure how to phrase his feelings. Finally, he glanced up and replied, "I...I love Alice and..."

At that moment Alice and Charles entered the room, causing Tarrant to stand up rather quickly. Mirana smiled and Alice stared at Tarrant, confusion lining her features as Tarrant pulled out her chair and sat down once again, leaving Alice no choice but to sit as well.

"Alice, you are well?" Mirana asked kindly.

Alice nodded and proceeded to pour some tea for herself, silently asking if the Hatter would like some more. Tarrant nodded, swallowing quickly under Alice's gaze, suddenly nervous beyond words.

Noticing Tarrant's discomfort, Charles said, " would you mind helping me to train with the sword, Tarrant? I heard of your bravery on the Frabjous day and I am out of practice."

Alice stared at her father incredulously, for he had used his sword the day before. Charles returned the gaze and nodded, telling Alice to be quiet.

Tarrant nodded and the gentlemen rose, bidding farewell to the ladies.

 **xxx**

It did not take the men long to change into training outfits in the training hall. Charles gestured for Tarrant to select his weapon. Tarrant chose his sword that had been used on Frabjous day. Charles selected a regular sword and the two positioned themselves.

Before the fight commenced, Charles spoke.

"Tarrant, it is clear that you have great affection for my daughter. Is this so?" Charles asked curiously.

Tarrant nodded, replying, "I do sir. I love your daughter very much. I..." Tarrant stuttered, aware that his madness was beginning to manifest itself.

Charles was curious now, more so than before, about what Tarrant had been about to say and said as much.

Tarrant replied, "I wish to ask for your blessing and permission to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage."

Charles smiled at Tarrant's apparent embarrassment at making such a request.

"Son, I will gladly give you my consent for this union." Charles said, shaking Tarrant's hand.

Tarrant smiled his signature gap-toothed grin. Needless to say, Charles could not concentrate on the training that he had planned.

 **xxx**

Alice and Mirana sat in companionable silence, sipping their tea.

Alice had been thinking about Tarrant's odd behaviour and what it could mean. Mirana sensed Alice's confusion and wondered what she was thinking of.

"Champion, dear friend, what are you confused over?" Mirana asked, kindness and concern evident in her voice.

Alice sighed before she remarked, "Tarrant was not himself today, was he?"

"No, Alice, he was not. It is not for me to say why he acted so, however." Mirana responded.

Alice's face fell, however she knew that sooner or later that she would find out why Tarrant had been so awkward with her during breakfast.

 **xxx**

"So when will you ask her?" Charles asked, excitement building within him at being able to see his younger daughter's wedding.

Tarrant pondered for a moment, his eyes darkening slightly before brightening again as he replied, "I do not know. Perhaps I could ask Mirana for advice on this matter?"

Charles nodded and Tarrant practically ran towards the dining room where he had last seen Mirana.

 **xxx**

Alice had since exited the dining hall and wandered into the garden. She wandered through the garden, still mulling over Tarrant's behaviour.

A certain feline noticed Alice's confusion and decided that it would be a good idea to find out why the Champion of Underland was indeed not herself.

"Whatever is the matter?" Chess asked as he appeared before Alice.

Alice frowned at Chess's interruption and sighed before she replied, "The Hatter."

Chess was by now confused. He had never seen Alice and Tarrant apart since her return and wondered what could have happened to separate them.

At that moment, Alice became distracted by footsteps approaching where she sat. Turning, she found herself face to face with Tarrant.

Chess decided that he had need to bow out of such an intimate moment.

 **xxx**

Tarrant, after he had spoken to Charles, spoke to Mirana. After some conversation, everything had been arranged for that very evening.

Once the preparations had been made, Tarrant began to search for Alice. He had finally found her talking to Chess in the garden underneath one of the cherry blossom trees.

He found it odd that Chess disappeared the moment Alice looked in his direction, however he thought nothing of it. Tarrant's heart rate increased to the point where he was sure that Alice could hear it. So lost in his own thoughts was he that he did not register Alice's attempts to gain his attention.

"Tarrant?" Alice called, for what felt as if it were the hundredth time. She frowned when she received no response.

With a sigh, Alice called to him once more and this time received the desired reaction. Tarrant started and blushed, apparently aware of his inattention.

"Tarrant, is all well?" Alice asked with concern, gesturing for Tarrant to sit beside her in the grass.

Tarrant sat down quickly, fiddling with his hat pin ring as he replied, "I wish to invite you to a party that Mirana has planned for this evening."

Alice kissed him before replying, "Of course. I was unaware that Mirana had planned a party. She is not usually so secretive."

Tarrant's face flushed at this, causing Alice to wonder if he knew what exactly had been planned. She said as much, however Tarrant merely replied that it was a surprise.


	18. Chapter 17

_**And...I'm back! Hopefully this chapter lives up to expectations. I kind of lost the motivation for this story, hence the lack of updates but thanks to all those who have followed this story and reviewed. The end of this chapter is a bit bad but I didn't know how to end it properly, it could have gone on forever and ever if I had kept going!**_

 _ **Let me know what you think!**_

* * *

Mirana was busy preparing for the ball which she had agreed to host that evening. Invitations were extended to members of her court as well as to the surrounding villages and towns.

Her servants were busy obeying the orders of their beloved queen, decorating the ballroom in honour of their Champion and the love she had for the royal milliner.

Elsewhere in the palace, Tarrant was fidgeting as he worked, causing him frustration. He sighed in annoyance before throwing his hands in the air in defeat. Below his window, Alice was clad in black as she swung her training sword in response to her father's attack which had narrowly missed her.

Tarrant smiled as he watched, once again reminded of the ball which was being held that night. With that thought in mind, Tarrant returned to his creation- a light blue dress that somewhat resembled Alice's dress that she had worn when she had first fled from her 'engagement party' to Underland, however this new dress told of the Hatter's love for Alice and was floor length with diamantes which made it sparkle in the soft candlelight.

Once it was finished, Tarrant draped it over his arm and walked along the hallway to Alice's room.

Alice battled her father until she could no longer lift her arms. She was breathless from the exertion, her hair escaping the ponytail that she had tied it into, however she enjoyed spending time with her father and had not really noticed her fatigue until Charles called a halt to her training for the day.

"That is enough for today, Alice. You did very well, my dear." Charles said, patting Alice on the shoulder as they walked in the direction of the palace.

"Thank you, father. I suppose I should prepare for the ball. I wonder why there is a ball though, for there is nothing really to celebrate." Alice mused, her curiosity beginning to blossom.

Charles smiled but said nothing as they walked into the palace, for he did not wish to spoil Tarrant's surprise.

Alice finished pulling her hair into place and studied her reflection in the floor length mirror. Her pale blue dress sparkled in the last rays of the setting sun as she turned to observe her profile.

She smiled at her reflection, happy with what she saw. The Hatter had really outdone himself this time. Alice was sure that she had never seen a more beautiful gown and felt so privileged to have the chance to wear it. A knock sounded at the door and broke her out of her reverie.

Alice opened the door and found the Hatter on the other side, dressed for the ball in a simple (by Tarrant's standards) black velvet suit with his signature top hat perched on his fiery orange curls.

When he saw Alice, Tarrant's jaw dropped and he was rendered speechless for what seemed to be an eternity.

When he finally regained his power of speech, he said, "Lovely…beautiful," which came out as more of a breathless whisper than the strength with which he normally spoke.

Alice blushed as did Tarrant before he returned to his normal self. He offered his arm to Alice which she accepted and the pair moved toward the ballroom.

The two made the short journey to the ballroom in companionable silence, each engaged in their own thoughts however Tarrant's were about the fair maiden on his arm and how this evening would change both of their lives for the better.

Alice glanced at her Hatter and smiled, for she enjoyed watching his thoughts and emotions flash across his face. She tapped his arm to alert him to the fact that they had reached the ballroom. Tarrant grinned at her as the double doors opened and they entered the room.

As they walked towards Mirana, there were many people whispering, mainly regarding the exquisite gown that the Hatter had crafted for his love. Alice blushed at the attention she received however she caught her father's attention, causing her to leave Tarrant's side.

"Father!" Alice exclaimed happily, flying to her father's side.

Charles embraced Alice happily, slightly releasing her so that he may appraise her dress.

"My dear, you look breathtakingly beautiful this evening." Charles declared, gazing at his daughter with a mixture of pride and love.

Alice smiled, nodding her thanks for she was overcome with emotion as well as having her thoughts engaged in trying to work out the reason for tonight's party. As these thoughts occupied her mind, Tarrant came up beside her with his hand outstretched as the orchestra began to play a waltz however Alice did not seem to notice his presence, which prompted him to cough in order to gain her attention which was successful. She smiled and accepted the silent invitation, the pair taking to the dance floor with ease and grace.

Tarrant swirled Alice around the ballroom with practiced ease as Alice quickly fell into the rhythm of the waltz which came almost as second nature to her. They danced for a few moments in silence before Tarrant broke it.

"I asked the orchestra to play a song that we could dance to that would remind you of Above. I was told by Mirana that this dance is common amongst lovers in your world." Tarrant said into Alice's ear, causing her to smile at his thoughtfulness.

Alice nodded as she replied, "It is true that it is common, however I have always felt as if my place was here and not Above. This has always been my world and always will be."

Tarrant grinned even wider if it were possible, giving Chess a run for his money. Soon, the dance ended and the dancers applauded the orchestra before dispersing thus giving Tarrant the opening he needed to steal Alice away from the crowded ballroom and into the gardens.

"Alice, shall we take a walk outside? We won't be gone long." Tarrant asked somewhat nervously, hoping that Alice would agree to go with him.

Alice furrowed her brows in confusion however agreed. Tarrant quickly guided her out of the ballroom and into the peaceful gardens before pausing at the waterfall that had amazed Alice so long ago.

"Tarrant, what is going on?" Alice asked, slightly breathless as Tarrant had guided her rather quickly, causing her to nearly run in order to keep up with him.

Tarrant turned to her with a glint of mischief in his eyes before kneeling before her. Alice's hand flew to her throat, shocked at the sudden turn of events.

"Alice, I never want to lose you again. I was so scared the fist time you left because I thought that you would never come back and then when you did, I was so happy and then _she_ took me away from you and I thought that I had lost you. I don't ever want that to happen again. You light up my life and bring more fun to it. Alice, will you marry me?" Tarrant said in a rush, his words falling out of his mouth almost tripping over themselves in their journey to reach Alice's ears.

Alice was silent for a moment as she tried to understand what Tarrant was saying to her. When she did, her face lit up with absolute joy at Tarrant's proposal. Her feet hurried her over to her Hatter and into his arms, causing him to fall backwards onto the grass as Alice began to kiss him. Tarrant giggled in delight but after a few moments, he gently pushed Alice away and sat up, forcing her to do the same, a frown lining her features.

"What is the matter?" Alice asked, worried that Tarrant wished to back out of their engagement at her passionate display of affection and love.

Tarrant smiled as he replied, "Alice, you did not answer my question. The kiss was wonderful but I would like a proper answer if that is possible."

Alice giggled in response as she declared, "of course I will marry you!"

With that settled, Tarrant slipped a finely sculpted silver band with a sapphire gem adorning it onto her finger and offered his hand to re-enter the ball which had become their engagement party.

As they made their way back to the palace, Alice mulled over the circumstances surrounding her engagement and realised that the same thing had happened Above but knew that it didn't really matter as the man walking beside her was her love and not like the man Above who had proposed to her a long time ago.

Tarrant watched as Alice's thoughts flitted across her face before deciding to break her reverie.

"Alice, what are you thinking about?" Tarrant asked, trying to gain Alice's attention.

"Oh, nothing. I just realised that this proposal and party are similar to the one Above that led me to you in the first place. Both featured parties in which I did not know that I would be proposed to but only one turned out the way I imagined it." Alice replied with a smile, reaching up to peck Tarrant's cheek.

Tarrant grinned at Alice as he replied, "I hope that this is the one that went according to plan and not the one where that nasty man from Above proposed."

Alice laughed at Tarrant's repulsed facial expression as he said this, however she noted the glint in his eyes telling her that he was teasing.

By this time, they had reached the palace doors only to find Charles and Mirana smiling at them.

"I take it that everything went well?" Charles asked, noting his daughter's radiant expression and a similar one adorning the Hatter's face.


End file.
